What's With the Beards?

Sturgis Elementary School Principal

Fundraising is hard. Aside from the obvious challenges of asking people to spend their money, finding a solid group of helpers can be tough. Sure, there are some folks out there willing to pitch in out of the goodness of their hearts, but frankly, many people need some kind of reward.

And that is why the majority of fundraisers involve an incentive program.

Now most times, fundraisers offer a grand prize to whoever sells the most stuff. Those in second or third might also walk away with a gift. There are even fundraisers that put every sellers name into a prize drawing.

So, prizes are a proven method for drumming up fundraising support, but they’re not the only option. Fun events are also effective ­ and depending on the scenario, can be even more beneficial.

Mr. Durant, Home School Liaison at North Wayne Elementary School

For an example, we’ll turn to an ultra­popular Paragon event. We were looking for a fun, unique way to increase participation in our school fundraisers, so Paragon Promotions and faculty members from various schools are teaming up for “Beard for a Day.” It’s pretty simple; if 75% of students participate in the fundraiser, chosen faculty members agree to wear the "Duck Dynasty" beard for an entire day. This one has been a smash hit with students!

Hazelwood Elementary School Principal

Bottom line ­ the more creative the incentive, the more likely students and faculty will be motivated to join in. And, unlike prizes, events let every participant reap the rewards, rather than just a small, exclusive group of people.

As the fundraiser goes on, don’t forget to remind participants that their hard work will pay off. Consider starting with a kick­off event, and follow that up with announcements and progress reports. That way, everyone can see their participation in action.

Tad Mott, Principal of North Livingston Elementary

So there you have it. If you’re planning a fundraiser for your organization, we strongly urge you to consider incentivizing the process; just be sure to lock in on one that fits your group best! Need help? That’s what we’re here for. Leave us a comment and tell us about your fundraising plans!

Lisa Speidel, Assistant Principal for Brown Elementary

Be the Cake Boss!

Want to bake with the Cake Boss this year? You can make it happen!

Cake Boss is a reality TV series that is on it’s 6th season on cable television network TLC. The reality TV show monitors the operations of Carlo’s Bakery, an Italian American family owned business in Hoboken, New Jersey.

Students that sell 15 or more items in their school fundraiser will qualify to be entered into a drawing. The drawn winner will have a chance to bake with Buddy Valeastro the main star of the show! They will win a trip for 4 to New Jersey (must include parent/guardian). This all includes airfare, hotel and a baking session for 4!

Here’s a taste of some of Buddy’s fantastic cakes!



Registration form is required to be eligible. Please click here for more information and for the registration form.

Good luck to all students and happy fundraising!

Picnic Perfect

Wow the whole family by packing the perfect picnic this summer!

There are plenty of things that factor into packing a picnic that will be fit for the whole family. For instance - making sure the food doesn’t spill, keeping the temperature right, packing light and transportable foods!

Follow these great tips and you’ll be packing your own perfect picnic in no time!

1. Food Warnings - When you’re getting ready for a picnic, make sure your food has been cooled before packing. Mayonnaise needs to stay in a cooler to maintain the right temperature to prevent your food from turning sour. Rule of thumb is to discard all food that has been out for at least more than 2 hours! 

2. Easy Foods to Make – Easiest foods to pack and transport are salads and sandwiches. Anything that does not require utensils will be the easiest to eat. Just make sure not to forget to bring hand sanitizer for the little ones! 

3. Simple Foods – Food like apples, bread, cheese, and crackers are super easy to pack for your picnic. Less time for preparation and more time for eating!

4. Packing Made Easy – Pack all of your food in sealable containers. This will prevent spilling. You wouldn’t want all of your hard work to go to waste. Homemade drinks such as lemonade and tea should go into containers that are sealable as well. 

5. Extras – Make sure to pack plastic utensils. These are the easiest to throw away and recycle after a picnic. One thing that is easily forgotten is serving utensils and a knife. 

6. Keep it Cold – Put ice packs in your cooler. If you don’t want to purchase ice packs, you can even just freeze water bottles in replacement. If you’re using water bottles you can even drink the water after it melts! Make sure to keep the perishable foods closest to the ice packs at the bottom of the cooler!

7. Picnic Basket – Pack your picnic basket in layers. Imagine it as a layered cake with different flavors for each layer. The top layer should be your utensils, plates and knives. Using a cooler would be fine if you don’t have a basket. 

If you follow these 7 packing tips, you’ll surely pack the perfect picnic the next time you’re out with your family!

8 Simple, Fun, and Cost-Saving Activities

School is out and summer is here! There are many affordable and fun summer activities that often get overlooked such as playing football or having a simple picnic outside. Simple and inexpensive activities are right under your nose and you can easily keep your children entertained this summer! Here is a list of 8 simple, fun, and cost-saving activities the whole family can do together.

1. See free or cheap kids’ movies. There are plenty of movie theaters that show free or cheap kids’ films during weekday mornings. In addition, many cities or towns have outdoor film festivals. If there isn’t a close theater, don’t sweat it. Going to the library to get movies for the kids to watch will work just as good!

2. Go to a concert in the park. Many cities or towns have free concerts in the park during the summer. Take your children out to enjoy these free concerts and to mingle with the other little ones in the community! 

3. Play board games or card games. Traditional board games and card games is a great way to have fun with the family. Take out the old board games you’ve stuffed in the back of the closet and have a go at it with your family.


4. Let the kids help you cook. Planning on cooking a simple spaghetti meal or baking your favorite batch of chocolate chip cookies? Let your children help you cook! This is a great and simple way to let your kids experience something new and to have fun. Psst – it also means less cooking for you! 

5. Share a hobby or craft. If you have a hobby like knitting or collecting coins, summer is the perfect time to teach your children. They’ll have tons of fun learning your hobby, researching and making crafts together with you. 

6. Explore your local library. Take your children to the library. The library is like a vast jungle of mysteries yet to be discovered by your children. Books are free to borrow and most libraries have summer reading programs that your children can indulge in!

7. Visit your town’s free attractions. Scope out free and less popular museums around town and take your children to them. These attractions may seem cheesy to you, but to your children they will be like magic. 

8. Camp out in the backyard. Pull out a tent and set it up in the backyard. It’s free and there can even be sleepover parties with the neighborhood kids. This is a great way to experience the outdoors without actually putting too much effort!

These 8 simple, fun, and cost-savings activities can be done by anyone! Have fun and make memories with your children this summer!

Safe Fundraising in The Sun

Although fundraising is important for your child to raise money for their school or activity, these upcoming summer months can be long, hot and dry. Being outside can be detrimental to your child’s health. Make sure that your child is fully protected from the sun to provide an engaging and fun fundraising experience.

Here are some tips to keep your child fully protected and staying healthy during the summer months:

Make sure your child has sunscreen. Being exposed to the sun for too long can have harmful effects on your child’s skin. The human eye cannot perceive it, but natural sunlight contains ultraviolet (UV) photons that can penetrate the skin and in the long run cause skin cancer. Sunscreen acts like a bulletproof vest that deflects the UV rays before inflicting damage on your child’s skin.

Did you know? SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor and the number is how long you can stay under the sun. Look out for this number on the label of sunscreen bottles to make sure you’re buying the appropriate sunscreen for your child.

Give your child plenty of water. Make sure your child has a water bottle. Have your child drink water before and after doing any strenuous activity; drinking enough water can prevent your child from getting dehydrated.

Did you know? Without water, your body would stop working properly. Water makes up more than half of your body weight and a person can't survive for more than a few days without it. 

Buy your child a pair of sunglasses. Just as how the sun’s UV rays can be harmful to skin, it is also harmful to eyes and can lead to age-related eye problems. Visit your eye care professional for the best quality and warranty eyewear for your child. Beware of inexpensive child sunglasses because they can pose other unwanted risks such as containing lead or non-durable frames.

Did you know? Human eyes contain a small blind spot where the optic nerve passes through the retina. Our brains use information from the other eye to fill in the vision gap so it is rarely, if ever, noticed.

Have your child take frequent breaks to go under a shade. The sun is at its strongest peak from between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM. If your fundraising event takes place between these hours, have your child take breaks in shaded areas.

Did you know? Light from the Sun reaches Earth in around 8 minutes!

Your child's safety is always the number one priority. Follow these steps and make sure your child is receiving proper care throughout the coming summer months!

Motivate Your Kids with the "Spring Cleaning" Fundraiser

It’s that time of year again -- the time for spring cleaning! While having a clean house is a refreshing feeling, parents are usually the ones who end up getting stuck with most of the work. What if you could motivate your child or children help you?

To motivate your children to help with tidying up the house, implement a “Spring Cleaning Fundraiser” at your child’s school. This will require a group of parents who want to give back to their school community, teach their children the value of helping around the house, and lessen their own cleaning responsibilities.

Every classroom teacher sends a letter home with their students. This letter will introduce the fundraiser to the parents: parents pay their kids to do household chores, but the money goes directly to a classroom (or entire school) purchase. Students could raise money for a new playground equipment, new musical instruments, or a new classroom pet!

When the kids hand their parents the letter, they’ll think they’re informing their parents for the first time. The catch is that your school’s PTO or PTA can agree upon a dollar-per-chore amount beforehand and inform all parents. For example, kids will earn $1.00 for their school each time they help clean the dishes after dinner.

Cleaning ideas include:

· Dusting
· Sweeping
· Making beds
· Watering the plants
· Doing dishes
· Etc.

You, as a parent, can explain to your child the importance of teamwork and responsibility. Cleaning as a whole family will make it more fun for your child. You could even set a timer for a chore that’s more work; and if they do it in a certain amount of time, you will give them more money.

This fundraiser can last for a week, a month, or a semester -- it depends on how high of a goal your school wants to set.

Although the money isn’t specifically for them, keep reminding your children that they are putting the money they earn to a good cause. At the end of the fundraiser, the teachers will give each student who participated a certificate of excellence or hard work.

Happy cleaning!

Cake Boss Knows Best

Buddy AKA "The Cake Boss" is one of the most famous cake decorators in the country and now his products are featured with Paragon Promotions Fundraising. Famously known from TLC’s The Cake Boss, Buddy and his crew make cakes for literally every occasion. Many of his cakes are insanely beautiful while the others are beautifully insane.

Here eight amazing out-of-this-world Cake Boss cakes: 

The “Bumblebee” Transformers Cake
Is this really a cake or did they steal it straight from the movie? Buddy and his crew created this ginormous masterpiece to help promote the third Transformers movie.

Dylan’s Candy Bar Cake

How sweet is this cake? It's like being a kid in the candy store! This cake was made for an actual New York candy store, Dylan’s Candy Bar. The featured treats on this cake are Dylan's Candy Bar products. 

The Black and White Wedding Cake
This wedding cake has so many intricate designs that took an extremely steady hand to make. Although the flowers look real, they are all made out of fondant. This cake was made for Brides Magazine.

Two-Tiered Sea Shell Cake
Who needs the vacation when you can get one on a cake? This cake practically brings the ocean to you (minus the water). The sea shells look so realistic; we'd like to take one home as a souvenir!

Marco’s First Birthday Cake

This not your average birthday cake, especially for a first birthday! This cake is bouncing with bright colors and designs. Buddy made this for his son, Marco. Of course he had to spoil him a little, or depending how you look at it, a lot.

Haagan-Dazs 50th Birthday Cake
This cake looks like heaven in your mouth. At their 50th birthday celebration, this cake was served with Haagan-Dazs ice cream. Sounds like our kind of party! 

The Giant Flip Flop
Myrtle Beach was celebrating its new oceanfront boardwalk and wanted a big cake. Two-hundred sheets of spongecake were used to make this creation and its total weigh reached nearly 2,000 pounds.

Sweet 16 Cake
A cake with flowers and pink is every 16 year old girl’s dream cake. This cake is sophisticated yet fun at the same time. The birthday girl, Ali, was one lucky girl.

The Cake Boss and his crew will literally make any kind of cake you want. They put a lot of effort into pleasing every single one of their customers. Have a photo of your own unique cake? Post it (or a link to it) in the comments below. Show off your artistic side and see what masterpiece you can create. Maybe you will be the next "Cake Boss"!