Lucjan Szewczyk/Press-Banner

Some 30 teachers, administrators and staffers of Scotts Valley Middle School gathered on the campus’ field last Friday where, in view of parents and students, they were sprayed by members of the Scotts Valley Fire District.
According to SVMS Principal Mary Lonhart, the stunt was the brainchild of Linda Romeo, an intervention specialist, who challenged the school’s staff to the Ice Bucket Challenge — a popular online trend in which people film themselves pouring ice water over their heads as a way of raising funds to research Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.
“When she completed the challenge, she then challenged the entire middle school staff,” Lonhart said. “Probably 90 percent of the staff participated.”
Searching for a way to sufficiently douse 30 people at once, she said, was a challenge in and of itself until SVFD Chief Dan Grebil offered to send a fire truck.
At 3 p.m. on Friday, she said, staff gathered — mindful of the drought conditions — on a part of campus where the water used would be helpful.
“We were trying to figure out how to do this with such a large staff without wasting water,” Lonhart said. “We chose a spot on the lawn that definitely needed water.”
After their fire-hose shower, she said, soaked staffers — including Superintendent Penny Weaver — made individual contributions to support ALS research, and issued a challenge to staff at Scotts Valley High School to do their own challenge.
Lonhart said that the event was a lighthearted end to the first week of classes.
“I think the (staff) just had a blast,” she said. “I think it was a great way to end our first week together.”

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