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Planning now for 2013 OM success

| 04 Dec 2012 | 01:30
    The two Odyssey of the Mind teams representing Central Valley Elementary send this ìthank youî note to those who are supporting the fundraising efforts of all 10 OM team. They are, in the top row and from the left: Alexi Berges, Jack Kralik, Rajan Patel, Livia Davidson and Sean McGee. Middle row: Aiden Berges, Cameron Adams, Simran Arneja and Andrew Padilla. Bottom row: Meghan Buckley, Sarah Mednick, Cassidy Stella, Aayan Krishan and Colin Davidson.
    The two Odyssey of the Mind teams representing Central Valley Elementary send this ìthank youî note to those who are supporting the fundraising efforts of all 10 OM team. They are, in the top row and from the left: Alexi Berges, Jack Kralik, Rajan Patel, Livia Davidson and Sean McGee. Middle row: Aiden Berges, Cameron Adams, Simran Arneja and Andrew Padilla. Bottom row: Meghan Buckley, Sarah Mednick, Cassidy Stella, Aayan Krishan and Colin Davidson.
    Even young spaghetti fans supported the OM fundraising effort. Two-year-old Eli Adams, the cousin of North Main Elementary OMer and fifth-grader Christopher Traina, shows his passion for spaghetti and "all the trimmings" during the dinner.
    Even young spaghetti fans supported the OM fundraising effort. Two-year-old Eli Adams, the cousin of North Main Elementary OMer and fifth-grader Christopher Traina, shows his passion for spaghetti and "all the trimmings" during the dinner.

CENTRAL VALLEY — With plans for success at the 2013 Odyssey of the Mind regional competition, the 10 Monroe-Woodbury School District OM teams are “thinking outside of the box” and raising money to be used for 2013 state and world competition.

With a $10,000 goal, the teams have already raised approximately $4,400 by hosting a community spaghetti dinner and having a fudge sale.

Added to that is a $1,000 contribution to the OM program received this past September, putting the teams a bit beyond the half way point in reaching that $10,000 mark.

“What we want to do is to eliminate that last-minute rush (to fund raise in the spring) when there’s so many other things kids have to focus on,” said Debra Garling, the district’s gifted/talented coordinator who oversees the OM program. “We want to incorporate fund raising as part of the ‘Odyssey adventure.’ We need everybody’s help. If you look at the history of Monroe-Woodbury going to states, we go every year. To me, that’s an absolute.”

The Monroe-Woodbury OM program also has a successful history of participating in world competition.

“Last year, we had five teams going to worlds, and I’ve got to plan on that, said Garling. “It’s better to plan ahead than problem solve later on.”

OM students and coaches worked at the spaghetti event by serving patrons, busing tables and cleaning up, according to Garling, with OM parents Leslie and Brian McInerney securing the venue, shopping for food and serving as chefs.

The evening also included a holiday boutique where vendors gave a percentage of their sales to the OM effort.

In total, approximately $2,100 was raised.

OM students representing the high school, middle school and Central Valley, North Main and Pine Tree elementary schools also sold 893 containers of fudge, earning $2,400 for OM.

The 2013 regional competition will be held March 2 at BOCES in Goshen, with the state competition set for March 23 at SUNY Binghamton. OM’s world competition will be held at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Mich. in late May.

“We are off to a strong start,” added Garling.

- Nancy Kriz