Franklin Elementary Bests McKinley in Charity Volleyball Match

Teachers from Franklin and McKinley Elementary Schools faced off on the Westfield High School volleyball court Thursday evening for a little friendly competition for a worthy cause. 

Co-organizers Joe Paradise, a fourth-grade teacher at McKinley and Barb Piatkowski, a Franklin School physical education teacher, both hail from the Jersey Shore so when it came time to select a charity to play for, choosing 'Restore the Shore' was "a no brainer," Paradise said. Fellow teachers and staff members were eager to support those still struggling in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.

Between tickets and concession sales, the schools raised $3,444.50 for the organization that was established to create awareness, gather donations and raise funds for the relief effort at the Jersey Shore.

Paradise explained that the success of the event was the result of a true team effort. "Everyone volunteered their time and talents - even DJ Kevin, who spun the tunes while the game was played. The seats were packed to a sell-out crowd who cheered on their teams." 

The McKinley teacher who lives in Pt. Pleasant said his school took the first game 25-15 but fell to Franklin in the second, 25-14. 

"In the rubber match, Franklin won, 25-16," he said.

Sue Lynne, the payroll and health benefits supervisor for Westfield schools, refereed the match and adding a new twist this year, student announcers emceed the event. Fifth-graders Sophie Wayner and Julia Colleran from McKinley introduced team members playing for their school, while fifth-graders Armen Bartanian and Erin Harris from Franklin called out the names for their squad and provided game commentary as well as the play-by-play.

Twins Alison and Jessie Lisanti dressed as their school's team mascot: the McKinley Eagle. The Franklin Owl was on hand to root (or hoot) on Franklin's squad, noted Paradise, who added that a good time was had by all. 

"If you ever want to know what it is like to be a rockstar, be a teacher at a faculty volleyball game," he said. "It's so awesome to have your students screaming for you."  

"Everyone had a blast," agreed Piatkowski. "It was great to see such a display of good sportsmanship and competition and for such a good cause."