Truman Elementary School Principal Greg Figenser looks over at a student as more tape is applied to his arms.
Anyone walking into Truman Elementary School's gym last Wednesday would have seen a somewhat peculiar sight as aides and custodians at the school were busy tearing off strips of duct tape from numerous rolls and placing them in easy to reach places.
The strips hung from baskets, gym mats and even the brick wall itself. Moments later, Greg Figenser, Truman's principal, walked in wearing a long sleeve shirt and looked at the tape and a wall he would soon be stuck to.
"Last time I did this, I wasn't wearing long sleeves. I lost all the hair on my arms," he said with slight laugh. "It was not great."
As part of the district-wide donation drive for the Make A Wish Foundation last week, Truman Elementary School hosted a fundraiser where students paid money to tape their principal to the gym wall. During the last hour of the day, the students walked into the gym giggling and chatting about the task ahead. After the students sat down, Figenser, using a playfully stern tone, announced any student taping him to the wall would lose their recess time forever.
One by one, students bearing strips of tape marched up and stuck it to Figenser's body, eventually covering his arms, legs, torso and even his neck and forehead. About halfway through, David Asselmeier, a fourth grade teacher, asked Figenser if he thought he would stick.
"My legs will stick, the rest of me will fall," Figenser said, still capable of moving his arms and shoulders.
Many of the students placed their strips on his torso, which eventually formed a small mound on his chest, but did not connect to the wall behind him. With some assistance from Asselmeier, the principal was stuck to the wall, hanging there for roughly half a minute before gravity started winning over the adhesive duct tape.
After being freed from the multicolored mess of duct tape stuck to him, students rushed up and gave their principal a group hug.
Overall, including other fundraisers throughout the week, the school was able to collect $1,568.86 for the foundation.
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