On May 29 Dairy Day at St. Francis Academy celebrated two decades of making oversized ice cream confections that thrilled, chilled and filled delighted students and everyone young at heart.
And this year followed that tradition with the parents voting on the favorite creation of two decades to be recreated. The final results were revealed during the event — parents had opted for milk shakes.
Teacher and students built a Neapolitan trio of milk shakes in 70-quart tubs using five-foot long PVC pipe to mix the frosty beverage. They combined over 18 gallons of softened vanilla ice cream, milk and syrups with each team member getting a chance to stir.
When the cream settled, the students were declared the victors, despite mixing flavorings. The judges gave them credit for “thinking outside the box” and “being creative” in combining syrups to create new milk shake flavors.
Dairy Day is the school’s celebration of the end of the school year as well as the national June is Dairy Month event. It is a contest between the teachers’ team and students’ team which is comprised of two students from each grade, K through 8.
Prior to the contest, the newly crowned Berks County Dairy Princess, Kelsie Burkhart, of Bernville played a game with students, splitting the audience into two groups, testing their knowledge of dairy farms. Each correct answer meant either the school’s principal, Deacon Thomas Murphy, or the school’s eighth grade teacher, John Coble, would put on another piece of clothing. At the end of the contest, Murphy was dressed like a farmer. Lil’Miss Dairy Princess, Kalina Rhoads, 5, of Barto, sang a song.
Burkhart told the students: “Always eat your three servings a day of milk, yogurt and cheese.”
Event emcee, Fr. Martin Kern, pastor of St. Columbkill’s Church, Boyertown, recounted its origins: In 1995 Dairy Day debuted as a type of spectator sport. That first year teachers, staff and students built a huge ice cream sundae, complete with a cherry on top. Then the following year the teachers decided to challenge a team of students to making really long banana splits – each one was 50-feet long. And the games began. Each year has had a unique twist, with no two years being exactly alike, he said.
Among the creations there have been: 100-foot and 120-foot banana splits, ice cream cakes, ice cream sculptures, smoothies, ice cream cone relay, root beer floats, milk shakes, smoothies, parfaits, cookie wiches, banana boats, ice cream sundaes, and ice cream pizzas, Kern said. To make these confections the teams have used a variety of items not usually associated with ice cream, such as trash cans, wading pools, drills and kayaks. Teams have had restrictions placed on them such as doing a disco dance, ringing bells, bouncing balls and singing.
He credited the parents “who continue to come back each year and help setup and clean up.”
Team members included: Student’s Team –
Kindergarten: Anastasia Derkotch, Nicholas Leese
First grade: Niveena Conklin, Joey Schreiner
Second grade: Andrew Urban, Kyleigh Mellen
Third grade: Kyle Kelsch, Valeria Guerin
Fourth grade: Alayna Bialek, Zach Moser
Fifth grade: Maureen Ryan, Ryan Maloney
Sixth grade: Marissa Keenan, Connor McGill
Seventh grade: Nathan Witmer, Danielle Trimbur
Eighth grade: Jessica Trostle, Mathew Witmer
Teachers’ Team: Deacon Thomas Murphy, Denise Stull, Joan Kelsch, Karen Bauer, Teresa Carver, Margaret Gehringer, Cecelia Bussell, Nicole Zawidski, Kathy Little, Sharon Boyer, Debra Nester, John Coble, Jaclyn Youse, Kathy DiPietro, Susan Stroud, Joannie Padelt, Joanne Wilkinson, Zoe Derkotch and Mario Sobjak.
Judges for the event were Dairy Princess Kelsie Burkhart, Lil’ Miss Kalina Rhoads, Melissa Pierson of National Penn Bank, Carol Beadencup and Dave Ritter of Bally Block Company.
Event sponsors include National Penn Bank, Reliable Paper, Bally Block Company, Bechtelsville Agway and Bob Hilbert Sportswear.