The administrative staff at Marlow Elementary had a surprise for its students when they went to lunch March 19.

The students and staff had earned the privilege to wear flip flops and Hawaiian shirts that day because they reached the school’s goal to collect $4,000 in coins for Relay for Life. But they never expected to find Principal Betty Jean Ferguson, Assistant Principal Leslie Dickerson, Instructional Supervisor Lori Dasher and maintenance man Larry Jackson lounging on the sand in their beach chairs in the middle of the school’s common area. Of course, the fun in the sun only lasted about an hour and a half, and then the beach bums went back to work.

According to Chris Brundage, Marlow Elementary’s Relay for Life coordinator, the staff and students didn’t know what the administrators had planned.

Although the students weren’t quite sure what to think about seeing Dickerson balancing on a surfboard or Dasher sitting in a rubber swimming pool, they were really confused to find Jackson dressed in a green wig and wearing a bright pink hula skirt.

And you can bet they’d never before seen their principal barefoot and wearing a flower in her hair.

Of course, it was all for a good cause and because the students and staff at Marlow go above and beyond every year to support Relay for Life. PE Teacher Katie Fleming said her daughter broke open her piggy bank and told her mom she wanted to donate all her money to Relay.
When Fleming asked her why, she said her daughter responded, because people have cancer and they need the money to help them.

The school goal was to collect $4,000 in coins, but according to Brundage, they actually collected $4,347.66. With this money, the Marlow Relay for Life team has collected over $7,000 so far.

The Effingham County Relay for Life will be held April 9 at Effingham County High School.