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Quail Hollow Students Volunteer For Businesses

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By MEGAN HUSSEY

The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 24, 2008

More than 25 Quail Hollow Elementary School students made community service part of their summer vacation plans this year.

Through Project Give, administered by former Quail Hollow teacher Danna Scranton, students lent a helping hand to area businesses who had served their school as community partners.

"I'm always involved in the community and am looking for support for our students," said Scranton, now a teacher at Veterans Elementary. "We've formed business partnerships with local businesses and had so much to give back to them."

Scranton selected two Wesley Chapel restaurants - Los Vallartas and Beef O' Brady's - that had supported the school with gift baskets for charity auctions, gift certificates for monthly teacher awards and Christmas gifts for disadvantaged students.

"These businesses have helped us for as long as I've been here and before," said Julie Marks, the school's assistant principal. "Both of their owners have or have had kids at our school."

To say thanks, Scranton and her students made tissue flowers and coasters to decorate the restaurants.

"When we took them to the restaurants, we had lunch there to support their business," Scranton said.

The kids got into the project.

"It was nice to give back after what they gave to us," said fifth-grader Allison Asher, 10.

Even though it was summer, the kids wound up learning something.

"I think what the kids learn from this is that they can give of themselves without expecting anything in return," Marks said.

Plus, they learn a few artistic skills to boot.

"I drew Sponge Bob on my coaster," said 8-year-old Abbie Asher. "The people at the restaurant seemed to like the stuff we made."

And when the work was done, Scranton, whose 11-year-old son Cody and 9-year-old daughter Kayla helped out, invited the kids to a party at her horse farm, where she taught them the basics of horse-grooming and care.

"They thought it was really cool to act on behalf of the school while going out into the community," Scranton said. "It was like a field trip to them."

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