Billy and the Pineapples Raising Money to Go To Tennessee

The Rundlett Middle School Destination Imagination team that recently won a slot to compete in the finals is asking for the community’s assistance in raising thousands of dollars to attend the global meet in Knoxville, TN, in May.

The team – Billy and the Pineapples – featuring seventh-graders Emily Haywood-Minery, Hailey Rand, Skylar Mathews, Erica Conrad, Josh Pauley, and Ashley Sigrist – needs to raise $655 for room and board for each team member and chaperone, as well as extra money for transportation costs. It’s unknown yet whether the team will fly or drive.

Destination Imagination is an after-school activity in which the students work on solving problems together and then present their solutions during the tournaments.

“Teams are tested to think on their feet, work together, and devise original solutions that satisfy the requirements of the challenges,” according to a fundraising letter being sent around by the team members to local businesses and organizations. “Participants gain more than just basic knowledge and skills – they learn to unleash their imaginations and take unique approaches to problem solving.”

For its problem to solve, Billy and the Pineapples chose bullying, and needed to present “a creative way” to fulfill a community need and make a film about it. The film was put together at an anti-bullying rally at the Abbot-Downing Elementary School.

The team showed the project at both the regional and state competitions and will now represent New Hampshire in the finals, if they can raise the money to get there.

Donations can be made to RMS PTO. Put Destination Imagination in the memo line. To check out video clips, visit the team’s group page on Facebook for more information. Email can_o_peaches@yahoo.com or call 369-9354 for questions.