Shipley’s Choice Students Sell Snowmen at Clements

Looking to add a snowman to your holiday decorations? Consider purchasing one made by a Shipley’s Choice student at Clement Hardware.

A special education class at Shipley’s, taught by Kim Chesek, has created decorative snowmen and are selling them for $10 at Clement Hardware to help raise money for their annual field day at Marley Elementary.

“Each year the students participate in the Marley Invitational, which is like a field day for special education,” Chesek said. “But the cost for a bus to transport the kids was around $400, which was too much. So I needed a fundraiser to off-set the cost.”

Since there are only 12 kids in the class, Chesek couldn’t ask each child to contribute, so she decided to organize a fundraiser using the kids creative talents.

The students made decorative snowmen out of brick pavers and are selling them for $10 each. When Chesek asked local hardware stores for donations it was Gordon Clement who came to her rescue.

“I wrote a letter to Mr. Clement and another hardware store asking for paint and supplies and let me tell you what he did,” Chesek said. “Not only did he call me back right away and offer to donate supplies. When I told him I was in need of more pavers he offered to look for them on Craigslist for me.”

Clement found the pavers for Chesek and her class and offered her his truck to go pick them up,

“She told me she needed more pavers and I remember seeing them on Craigslist all the time—sometimes for free,” Clement said. “She wasn’t really familiar with Craigslist so I offered to help.”

Clement then offered to sell the snowmen in his store.

“We really appreciate Mr. Clement,” Chesek said. “They don’t come much nicer than him. The other hardware place didn’t even get back to me.”

The snowmen, which come in all varieties including Ravens themed, can be purchased at Clement Hardware at 500 Ritchie Highway. Proceeds will go towards funding a bus and T-shirts for the students’ field day.

“Customers love them so far; they are really cute,” Clement said. “I just think more people need to know they are here.”

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