SAVANNAH — Ebenezer Elementary School assistant principal Dana Wright never expected to win this year’s Kiss-a-Pig competition to benefit the American Diabetes Association.
Wright knew she would get plenty of support as this year’s Effingham County team captain, but she would be asking for donations from teachers on tight budgets and students with loose change in their pockets.
To her surprise, Wright’s team was announced as the winner at Saturday night’s Kiss-a-Pig gala in Savannah. The "Hams of Effingham" raised $29,144 for ADA, the most among the 13 regional teams.
"I am so shocked," Wright said moments after the announcement. "I cannot take credit — it’s all the kids and staff at Effingham County schools.
"That’s what makes me so excited — you can make such a big difference, one dollar at a time."
Wright’s reward was kissing Remi the pig after receiving her trophy.
"I was happy to do it for a good cause," Wright said of puckering for the pig. "Like my campaign manager, JohnsieBrannen), said, they’re all winners. The American Diabetes Association wins."
Managing diabetes is part of daily life for Wright, who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes 15 years ago. She also grew up with a sister who was diagnosed with the disease at age seven.
"People like Dana understand what it is to live with this day-to-day. They know there is no vacation from this disease," said Maria Center, ADA director for Southeast Georgia and Coastal South Carolina.
More so than her own situation, though, Wright said she was inspired by the memory of Ebenezer Middle School principal Ramona Lovett, who died in September at age 34 from complications from diabetes. Wright said that Ebenezer Middle and Elementary honored Lovett’s memory and "took this under their wing and raised a lot of money."
Wright dedicated her fund
-raising campaign to Lovett and to two Ebenezer Elementary students with diabetes — kindergartener Abbey Brannen (her campaign manager’s daughter) and third-grader Ryan Phillips.
"I do want them to have a cure in their lifetime," she said.
Wright got all 13 Effingham County schools involved in the campaign. She selected a representative at each school, who organized fundraisers such as a "dress down" day or a coin drive.
"I tried to pick someone at each school who is affected by diabetes in some way; I feel they are the best advocates for diabetes," Wright said. "They took off with it. They did such a good job."
Wright thanks the representatives who led the fundraising at each school:
Blandford Elementary - Marty Morris
Rincon Elementary - Sherri Walsh
Sand Hill Elementary - Eleasha Donaldson
South Effingham Elementary - Michelle Taylor
Marlow Elementary - Leslie Dickerson
Guyton Elementary - Beth Hahn
Ebenezer Middle - Crystal Jordan
Effingham County Middle - Glenn Smith
South Effingham Middle - Wallace Blackstock
South Effingham High - Melissa Roddenberry
Effingham County High - Mimi Hayes
Board of Education - Linda Smith
The schools that raised the most money were:
Elementary - Ebenezer Elementary, $4,502.25
Middle - Ebenezer Middle, $4,388.65
High school - ECHS, $3,062.68
