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Health & Fitness

The Sweeter Side of the General Election: Kemp Mill PTA hosts Election Day bake sale

In light of recent controversy, parents show what Kemp Mill Elementary is really made of—sugar, spice and everything nice.

Somewhere in the neighborhood of Kemp Mill, volunteers are still crunching numbers. On November 6th, the parents of the Kemp Mill Parent Teacher Association were stationed where few others could go—just outside the polls. In what has become an endearing election night tradition, parents staffed a bake sale just outside of the doors to the library of Kemp Mill Elementary School, where voters waited in line to cast their ballot.

“Our job as a PTA is to be welcoming and to make people want to be involved with the school,” said event coordinator Mia Andrews. Andrews makes clear that the bake sale was a team effort made possible by the entire school community. In light of recent controversy surrounding the school, the organization was proud to show what Kemp Mill Elementary is really made of—sugar, spice and everything nice.

Parents arrived with hot coffee and treats at 5:30 am--just in time for the morning rush at the polling station. Jewish residents visiting the polls were very appreciative that the fare also included a variety of kosher goods. The PTA pricing strategy was to make everything one dollar, something that appealed to voters my fellow votors dealing with polling fatigue or struggling to decipher the sample ballot.

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"We wanted it to be really simple," said Andrews of the decision. On a day filled with tough decisions, it was nice to be able to make the relatively decision to support my local Parent Teacher Association.

The most popular items were flavorful sugar cookies cut into donkey and elephant shapes. Incidentally, these cookies were also kosher items but also appealed to other palates. While an equal quantity of both cookies were made, the donkey cookies sold out hours before the spirit animal of the Republican Party did. As life surely imitates art, they were no doubt made from the same batter.

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In addition to donations contributed by families, other volunteers stepped up to keep the event running until the polls closed. Peggy Thompson, the school’s administrative secretary, not only donated baked goods but four hours of her time on Tuesday.

“We were just astonished,” says Andrews of seeing Thompson coming in to help on her day off.

While the majority of profits will fund PTA programming, parents also separately accepted donations to the Red Cross for Hurricane Sandy relief.

Thank you to the parents and volunteers of the Kemp Mill PTA for their work on Election Day and year round to make their school a warm, inviting environment.

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