Squids Restaurant and Oyster Bar isn’t normally known for its teeming early morning crowds, but on Friday, April 27, Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools teachers and staff enjoyed a full, hot breakfast at the restaurant before they headed off to their classrooms and offices. Another 1,182 staff went through a “drive thru” line and received to-go orders of breakfast burritos, fresh fruit cups, muffins, yogurt and other treats, many of which were prepared by School Board members Rani Dasi and Mary Ann Wolf, as well as Public School Foundation’s former executive director, Kim Hoke. This wildly popular parent-supported fundraiser for the Public School Foundation drew crowds of teachers lining up in the dark, outside Squid’s well before the 6 a.m. opening time. Nearly three hours later, when the last steam table trays were scraped clean of scrambled eggs, bacon, grits and sausage, more than $100,000 had been pledged for our teachers, a record amount.Since the first breakfast in 2003, the owners of the Chapel Hill Restaurant Group have provided all of the food and pulled off the increasingly large numbers of meals, with the help from dozens of volunteers. Tom Herzog, manager of Squid’s, said that the early years felt more stressful for his team, until the veteran volunteers from the Foundation learned the ropes. Herzog smiled as he nodded at the bustling helpers throughout the dining room. “They can run the show now,” he said. However, the Squid’s folks still came in between 2 and 3 a.m. to start preparing the food.
Lynn Lehmann, Executive Director of the Public School Foundation, said, “To the Chapel Hill Restaurant Group...what can we say? You guys are the best and your generous spirits overwhelm us. We appreciate all of you so much - and all that you give to our organization - and the community. THANK YOU!”The total amount raised in 15 years reached $856,431 this year, all of which has been earmarked for the Teachers First Fund to support programs, grants and professional development opportunities for CHCCS teachers, including scholarships towards National Board Certification.
As the sun rose, Ron Stutts from WCHL took the microphone to broadcast the beginning of his morning show from Squid’s, interviewing Lehmann and Stephanie Yost, breakfast volunteer organizer - as well as Dr. Todd LoFrese, Board Chair Rani Dasi and Gloria Sanchez-Lane, school social worker from Phoenix Academy. Various greeters from Lincoln Center rotated through their posts, as other School Board members hauled trash and collected plates and cups. The collegial spirit and contagious adrenaline allowed the waves of teachers and staff to move quickly through the serving line, providing them time to visit among the tables.
“The Annual Teachers First Breakfast and Roses is a CHCCS community-sponsored event,” said Lehmann. “I’m so very grateful to the parents who support this effort, while honoring their teachers with the gift of a breakfast and rose at the same time. It is a win-win-win for CHCCS families, the Public School Foundation and our deserving teachers.”
