A group of Kimball Elementary Students, made up of all girls, have mastered the fine art of shopping. Together 11 girls in fourth- through sixth-grade make up the Kimball Elementary Student Government. Recently, the group purchased items to donate to Kimball’s Senior Dining Center, housed at St. Anne’s Church in Kimball. The young shoppers set out with a mission – each was given $10 to purchase as many items on her list without going over the set amount. And the girls succeeded. Collectively, they purchased 94 items for $98.55 in one hour. “We got lots of deals,” sixth-grader Kelsi Woods said. Part of their success could be attributed to brand comparison. “We found toothbrushes for 50 cents,” Woods said. “I got give of them for $2.50 and found a name-brand toothbrush for $3. And they were nice toothbrushes!” Other items the student government purchased included shampoo, toothpaste, denture paste, toilet paper, mouth wash, deodorant and Kleenex. The gifts were personalized when shoppers picked out their favorite scents for shampoo and lotions. “We picked out that stuff because they need it,” sixth-grader Megan Nehring said. Advisor Karla Rick said the group traveled to Wal-Mart to purchase the items. They were given a list of suggested items from Rosalea Hoeft, satellite site-director for the dining center. Fifth-grader Abby Borman thought that the senior diners would enjoy the fleece blankets the most. Because St. Anne’s Church is located close to the elementary school, the students walked their donations over to the dining center. Hoeft was surprised with the amount of donations. Knowing that 41 diners had signed up for the meal, she asked each to bring a prize, in case there weren’t enough from the student government. After seeing the size of the donation, Hoeft thought this request probably wasn’t needed. However, she said excess prizes could be used for other bingo days which take place the second and last Fridays of the month. The game draws in many participants. “Some dinners come almost everyday, some come mostly for cards, [but] bingo is the fun game. We have more participants.” On usual bingo days, guests bring a bagged present, valued up to $1. “It is kinda like Christmas,” Hoeft said, “because you never know what you are going to get. Some bags are light and may have $1 in them, or [postage] stamps.” She added that gifts are usually food, paper products or necessities for the home. Things that seniors need, but don’t always purchase since most are on fixed incomes. During the Christmas bingo game, winners will choose among the unwrapped prizes from the student government. Sixth-grader Beth Libbesmeier thought that it would be fun to watch the seniors play bingo. She imagined the winners would be “pleased” with the prizes. Others agreed. While many of the students had played bingo and won prizes, they thought the ones they chose were better. Fourth-grader Nicole Knickerbocker said she had won stickers playing bingo, and Borman once won $3. “These prizes are better and more useful,” Libbesmeier said. While the diners enjoyed their useful presents, the girls had other plans. Woods said, “We decided that when we get older, we are going to shop together again.” This was the first time that Kimball Elementary Student Government worked with the dining center to donate prizes. However, both groups plan on making this an annual tradition. For more information on the Senior Dining Center, or the Kimball Elementary Student Government, contact Rosalea Hoeft at (320) 398-2211 or the elementary school at (320) 398-5425, respectively.
