Parents, grandparents and their neighbors are accustomed to reluctantly opening their wallets each year to buy chocolates, wrapping paper and magazines for school fundraisers.
But this year, at least one Utah school is trying a new type of fundraiser that's raising eyebrows among some parents.
Daybreak Elementary School in South Jordan is asking parents to trade in their unwanted jewelry for cash. The school will get 20 percent of the proceeds from the event, which is being run by Deep Blue Treasures, a Midvale-based company.
Some parents say they don't want their children involved with any type of business that resembles a pawn shop or preys on desperate people. Others, however, say the business is legitimate, parents won't have to spend cash, and it beats making children go door-to-door hawking goods.
Daybreak parents Christian and Marissa Burridge sent a letter to the school and district school board Monday expressing disappointment with the fundraiser.
"We were just kind of repulsed by the idea that it seems now they're bringing a pawn shop type of activity into a public school," said Christian Burridge, a former chairman of the Salt Lake County Democratic Party. "To incentivize children to be agents for a pawn shop I think is pretty distasteful."
Daybreak parent Bion Wimmer said he opposes any fundraiser that involves students selling goods or services for a company. But he said he suspects parents and the school will especially lose out with this one.
"My guess would be he's not paying anywhere near top dollar for that gold, and you're going to have a whole bunch of school kids all wanting to go home and win the pizza party and try to pressure their folks into selling something," Wimmer said.
Others, however, say they're thrilled the school is trying something new.
"We felt like right now, with times how they are, people are short on cash, but we know they want to be able to help the school," said Andrea Sam, who sits on the school's community council and PTA. "We thought this was a great idea to raise money for the school but not have to have people buying a bunch of stuff."
Daybreak Principal Doree Strauss said the district, the school's community council, the Jordan Education Foundation and the school's PTA president all approved the idea.
Deep Blue Treasures will accept jewelry from parents next week and later in the year in a room apart from students, Strauss said. Among all the fundraising offers she gets from companies, this one struck her as "really creative."
"I thought, 'This is great because it keeps the student safe; they're not selling door-to-door,'" Strauss said. "We really thought we were coming up with something that was very creative and safe and also gave parents money if they chose to participate."
Allan Baird, president of Deep Blue Treasures, said the company is not a pawn shop and does a lot of charity work. He said Treasures is a division of Deep Blue Marine, which sends divers to sunken ships in the Caribbean to recover artifacts. Treasures' main purpose, he said, is to raise money for those endeavors.
The Jordan Education Foundation has even added Deep Blue Marine to its list of companies schools may work with on fundraisers.
"We don't twist anybody's arm," Baird said. "There are a lot of people who are not comfortable going to pawn shops so we set up something like this. What a great way to help schools out for some funding."
He said the company buys the vast majority of jewelry people bring in "because our offers are so good."
Daybreak parent Chris Merrill said he doesn't see how this plan differs from other fundraisers where children are asked to sell a product or service and the school gets a portion of the proceeds.
"If you don't like this one, just don't participate," Merrill said.
Strauss said the school's proceeds from the fundraiser will go toward software for students and prizes for kids who improve their grades or practice good citizenship, among other achievements.
She said so far the letter from the Burridges is the only formal complaint she's received. She said normally she gets anywhere from 30 to 60 complaints every time the school holds a fundraiser of any kind. She even heard complaints about a fun run to raise money earlier this year.
"That's why I looked at an out-of-the-box thing, because I'm trying to please the parents and [consider the] safety of the kids while still having a successful fundraiser," Strauss said. "Fundraising is a hot button with parents, and I think even more so with the economic times we're in."
