Tigard school principal gets slimed for a good cause | Community Spirit

TIGARD, Ore. -- Tiffany Wiencken can't ever be accused of not doing what it takes as part of her job.

The first-year principal at Deer Creek Elementary School in Tigard was on the receiving end of two buckets of slime Tuesday afternoon in front of the entire school. The reason was because students and staff came together to raise more than double the previous amount during a fund-raiser jog-a-thon the school put on Jan. 27. Students raised nearly $19,000 -- nearly $4,000 more than the goal of $15,000. The money is for the most basic of school necessities -- to keep the school running.

"This money goes to our PSO organization -- our Parent Support Organization -- and this year, they supported us by repairing our musical instruments, paid for a part-time instructional assistant, some basic school supplies," Wiencken said. "In years past, they bought pieces of playground equipment and things like that, but that's just not optional this year because of the economy. It just means that much more that we raised this much given how hard times are."

The fund-raiser was a program instituted because the $50 seats for the school's annual fund-raiser auction became a bit too expensive for some. After some number-crunching, school officials figured out that if every student raised an average of $30 through pledges for a jog-a-thon, the financial goal of the school would be met. While the plan was in place, it was an entire different process to get not only the students, but staff, motivated. That's when Wiencken put herself on the line. She told teachers, the organizers of the event, she would do whatever it took to motivate the students in coming up with pledges. She said she would've eaten worms (she wasn't particularly thrilled with that idea, though), dye her hair green or kiss a pig.

"I had to speak with somebody and I left the room for a minute and I came back and they were like, 'We've got it. We're going to have you slimed,'" she said. "And I said, "Uhhhh ... Really? OK ... ' But who would've thought it was going to be such a huge thing? It's hilarious."

Wiencken also helped out the cause. To motivate the staff and students, she filmed a video, reminiscent of Rocky Balboa, as she's seen running, jumping, doing sit-ups and wall pushups. She also lifted weights (staplers) and ran around the school. She even signed a contract that if the students raised $15,000, she would get slimed. The video turned out to be an instant hit with the students.

"The kids were just freaking out, so we had this mantra of, 'Go, Pledge, Run, Slime' and we have all these things around the school with that mantra on it," Wiencken said. "It's just a bunch of silly things, but it got the kids excited and the adults, too ... It really became a community event and all the teachers became really involved, and the kids, too. Everyday, I greet them at the doorways as they get to school and I'd say to them, 'Am I going to get slimed? What do you guys think?'"

As Wiencken greeted students Tuesday morning as they arrived at school, she saw some students who had dyed their hair green. Other students made remarks like, 'Oh, it looks like a slimy day' as they greeted Wiencken. In fact, one student approached Wiencken and said he'd thought it over and thought she wouldn't like to get slimed. The student offered to get slimed in her place.

"He was totally serious," she said. "It was really sweet. I told him, 'Thank you and that's so nice of you, but I think I need to do it.'"  

When the entire school gathered in the gym Tuesday afternoon, students shrieked with delight as Wiencken was on the receiving end of not one -- but two -- buckets of slime. Wiencken took it all in stride.

"I think we just made it really fun and from what I heard from the teachers, I think they got behind it more than they had in the past," she said of the fund-raiser. "Our work is so important and really, teaching elementary kids is rocket science and we work really, really hard and so it's just great to have a fun community building thing that's healthy and where kids are running. We just had fun. There were no winners or losers -- everybody had fun."

Even Wiencken.