WEATHERSFIELD SCHOOLS Seaborn project cooks up $5,000 for Relay for Life

Each of the school's 385 pupils was involved in making the cookbooks.
By SHERRI L. SHAULIS
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
NILES -- Gov. Bob Taft made a submission. Ohio State University football coach Jim Tressel did, too. Even local TV news anchor Angie Shaker sent in one of her favorites.
Some of the area's more notable celebrities were happy to lend their culinary secrets to pupils and faculty at Seaborn Elementary in Mineral Ridge for a good cause. The school is part of the Weathersfield district.
The recipes submitted by some of Ohio's famous residents joined those brought in by each of the 385 pupils for inclusion in "Cooking for a Cure," a cookbook sold at the school to benefit Relay for Life.
Relay for Life, scheduled for Friday and Saturday at Bo Rein Stadium at Niles McKinley High School, is the largest single fund-raiser for the American Cancer Society. Each year, thousands of communities conduct a 24-hour walk/run and several other fund-raising events to benefit cancer research through ACS.
Second-grade teacher Ami Lightly, who suggested the cookbook project to the school's Relay committee, said she had seen the project used at another school, and didn't see why it wouldn't work for Seaborn Elementary.
"I never dreamed we would sell as many and make as much money as we did, though," she said.
How sales went
An initial run of 250 cookbooks, priced at $10 each, sold out immediately, she said. Another run of 250 copies didn't take much longer, she added. In all, the school raised close to $5,000 for Relay for Life, after costs for the production of the book were recouped.
"It was really enjoyable, but it was a lot of hard work," Lightly said.
Pupils were asked to submit recipes, as well as draw artwork for section dividers in the book, she explained. Each grade held an artwork contest designed around a themed chapter, including drinks and appetizers, breads, desserts and more, Lightly said.
The best overall artwork was submitted by fourth-grader Allison Keeney, who was then asked to design the cover for the book, Lightly added.
Though all copies are currently sold out, Lightly said some people are still asking if the book is available.
"We ran out of all of our supplies, and many of them were either donated or sold to us at cost," she said.
Most of the paper used for the book, which uses the front and back of 60 pages, was donated, as was the printing for the project. The school was able to purchase the binders at cost, she noted, which allowed the school to donate most of the money earned from the sale to Relay for Life.
"That really helped a lot," Lightly said.
"Cooking for a Cure" was not the only original fund-raiser this year designed to benefit the Niles Relay for Life. Last month, a team from Rack's Cafe organized a 24-hour pool shoot that raised more than $5,000 toward cancer research.
Relay for Life started in 1985 in Tacoma, Wash., and was the brainchild of Dr. Gordon Klatt, an ACS volunteer. Each year, teams of 10 or more participants take turns walking or running a course throughout a 24-hour period, earning pledged donations for each mile covered.
Since its inception, Relay for Life has grown to more than 3,800 events throughout the country, with 190 of them in Ohio. The Niles Relay is one of about a dozen such events in the Mahoning Valley.
slshaulis@vindy.com