Bally students sail to victory for Dairy Day

BALLY — Students at St. Francis Academy in Bally sailed to victory at the school’s recent annual Dairy Day celebration. Dairy Day is the school’s celebration of the end of the school year as well as the national June is Dairy Month event that features a contest between a team of students and the teachers’ team.

The teams made a total of 220 ice cream banana boats using with 33 gallons of Turkey Hill ice cream. While the teachers won the contest for speed, the judges unanimously gave the win to the students based on neatness, balance and the fact that the final docking place for the banana boats more nearly resembled a boat.

At the beginning of the program, Sen. Judy Schwank (D, PA Senate District 11) proclaimed: “This is the most exciting thing happening in Northeast Berks County today.”

She then briefly explained the importance of agriculture and dairying in particular. Prior to the contest, the newly crowned Berks County Dairy Princess, Kayci Johns, 17, of Richland will gave a presentation on why milk needs to be in the students’ daily diets. “Milk is the foundation of a nutritional program for an active lifestyle. Students can easily add three servings of dairy every day by choosing milk, cheese and yogurt,” she said. Lil’Miss Dairy Princess, pre-K student Brooke Bicksler recited a poem.

Event sponsors include: Turkey Hill Dairy, National Penn Bank, Moyers Catering, and Bob Hilbert Sportswear.

Fr. Martin Kern, pastor of St. Columbkill’s church in Boyertown served as emcee for the day.

Judges included Mary Sobjak and Missy Pierson of National Penn Bank, Senator Judy Schwank, Annette Moyer of Moyers Catering, Kayci Johns, Brooke Bicksler, and Colette Finegan.