Edmond Memorial High School’s Swine Week is one of the most anticipated traditions for students and teachers. Every year, the school builds up energy for the tradition by presenting 25k in a Day, where the goal is to raise at least $25,000 for the Swine Week recipient, The Comeback Kid Society, in one day. 

The nonprofit organization provides free mentoring programs for at-risk youth such as teens in juvenile detentions or foster group homes. They provide support in many aspects such as workforce development, education, foster care empowerment and more that can change the lives of many kids in need.

The school raises money by selling various items, the most popular being food and beverages. The EMHS Student Council raised money by selling its usual items such as waffles, donuts and bagels, and there were Swine Week Royalty members with stands selling their “piggy pastries.” Swine Week Royalty groups are one of the biggest sources of income for Swine Week. EMHS also partners with businesses such as Smoothie King and Roots Nutrition for drink options.

Apart from the food and drink, there were many other items for students to buy, including merchandise for The Comeback Kid Society, crochet bags and Kenzie’s Konnections permanent jewelry, which is a brand managed by EMHS junior McKenzie Pittman. Students could also participate in the “car smash,” where they had the chance to hit a car with a bat by paying $5 for 30 seconds or $10 for one minute.

One 25k in a Day tradition is the competition to see which grade level can raise the most money in donations. One of the stands was dedicated to donation buckets labeled for each class to drop as much cash as they could into it. Whether it was just their loose change or significant amounts, this tradition is one of the most lucrative to raise funds.

Students could sense the excitement as soon as they entered the upper commons, with the halls being covered in pink decorations, Swine Week-themed phrases such as “it’s swineally here” being written on the walls and the classic pink lighting. The day also had a dress-up theme, “On Wednesdays, We Wear Pink,” in which many students participated by wearing as much pink as possible.

Thanks to 25k in a Day, EMHS received a headstart on raising money for The Comeback Kid Society. This year was a huge success, raising $37,422 for Swine Week. The tradition is not only a massive start in raising money for The Comeback Kids Society but also shows students a sneak peek at how fun and exciting Swine Week is.

Contact Paisley Edgin at [email protected]