1,000 cereal boxes for charity downed like dominoes at NJ school

Efstratios Monafis is the principal at Central School in Wall Township. He has to be one proud principal.

They have been teaching their students not just to be good academically but also to be good citizens. The kids in this K through 5 elementary school total nearly 500.

This army of young children was given a challenge: Could they collect 1,000 boxes of cereal to donate to a good cause?

You bet they rose to the occasion. From Lucky Charms to Frosted Flakes to Applejacks, 1,000 cereal boxes will be heading to food banks in West Belmar, Bradley Beach, and Manasquan.

But not before the students had a little fun with them.

What began and ended as a noble cause turned into a cool physics lesson in between.

A school-wide effort saw these 1,000 boxes of cereal lined up strategically down hallways, across a gymnasium floor, down stairwells, and all around the school.

They were placed just like dominoes, and the whole staff and student body lined those halls to cheer on the show. A 2nd grader set off the chain reaction to loud cheers.

You can see the video from News12 NJ of it happening, here.

This cereal box collection/dominoes challenge has been making the rounds.

It was done last school year in the Keyport Public School District and has been tried in other states before that.

“There’s so much value in giving back to the community, helping those in need, and that’s something we want to instill in our students,” said Principal Monafis. “I am so proud. They prove daily how great they are, how much they’re learning.”

One of those students, a fifth grader named Riley Kilmnik, summed it up, “It represents one of our mindsets, that is, ‘Live to give.’ So some people don’t have this experience, and sometimes they can’t even go to school.”

Admit it — you wish you could have seen this in person.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Jeff Deminski only.

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