Last August, I had the chance to surprise the teachers at the girls’ elementary school with Culver’s! Check out the ButterBurger Blindside fun and why I love Culver’s oh so much.
Disclosure: I collaborated with Culver’s and The Motherhood for this amazing event. I was so excited to create this experience for the teachers at our school.
Exactly 7 years ago this month, we moved our family from Wisconsin to Michigan. I grew up here and after having the twins it was time to be closer to my parents. It was quite bittersweet to move away from everything I’d known for almost 8 years, though –friends had become like family to me. Plus, Madison is such an amazing city to live in.
Before moving to Madison, the words “cheese curd” had never even been in my vocabulary. I actually don’t think I’d even heard of them, to be honest. I remember sitting in my dorm room (probably listening to Justin Timberlake’s Justified on repeat) and one of my new friends mentioned how they really wanted some Culver’s. Everyone in the room looked at me like I was crazy when I innocently said, “What’s Culver’s?”
Once we had access to a car (gosh, why didn’t I think of Uber back in the day?!), we had a group trip to Culver’s. I tried frozen custard, cheese curds and a ButterBurger for the first time and I was in love. That holiday season, I brought news of this glorious place back home to Michigan.
After I moved back to Michigan, Culver’s finally made it across Lake Michigan –it was like fate. Obviously, someone knew I couldn’t live without my favorite frozen custard. Now you can find them all over the area. When I was pregnant, Ricky had to bring me quite a few Concrete Mixers with cookie dough.
Moving away from my friends was a bit rough… I really missed the close connections I had in Madison. From the moment we walked into Challenger Elementary when the twins were in kindergarten, I felt the community I had been missing. Everyone was so friendly to our family. Three years later, I’m the PTC President and I love helping where I can at the school. Now all three girls are students at the school and we couldn’t be happier with their teachers and staff at Challenger.
Over the years, through the events and meetings, our family has grown close to the Challenger staff. It’s always great to walk into the building and see so many happy, smiling faces. Daily, my kids come running out of school, bursting with stories from their day.
When I got the chance to surprise the teachers and show my gratitude, I jumped on it…especially with my favorite restaurant. This summer, Culver’s wanted to step outside the four walls of the restaurant and surprise groups in unexpected places –a ButterBurger Blindside! Everyone loves a Culver’s treat, but it’s even more delicious when it’s not expected.
When I heard about this ButterBurger Blindside idea, I knew of the perfect opportunity. Last school year ended on June 15th and the district bumped up the school start date to 2 weeks before Labor Day on August 22nd. This summer went by in a flash, especially with the birth of Liam. I knew the teachers were feeling a bit bummed about their shorter summer, so I thought a surprise with some extra school supplies and CULVER’S would brighten their day.
Pulling off an event at school was a bit tricky, especially since it was a surprise. Plus, it was so hard for me to keep a secret! Fortunately, I planned for a big fundraiser to kickoff the school year and I could easily pass off the teacher’s meeting for a reason for everyone to get together.
The day of the event was hectic, since I planned a Pep Rally to kick off the fundraiser. The chaos worked in my favor; I had the Culver’s team at the school almost undetected since I also had parent helpers around for the Pep Rally. They graciously helped me decorate the teacher’s lounge while I was in the gym with the teachers and students.
After school got out that day, we were all ready for the surprise. I had bags with some extra school supplies lined up and from the moment I walked out of the gym, I could smell the Culver’s deliciousness. I thought for sure it would give the surprise away! Luckily, the end of the day busyness kept the teachers distracted.
Once dismissal was done, I had the teachers meet me in the lounge. Waiting until almost everyone was present, we opened the door for the big surprise. Is there anything better than a delicious meal after a long day of teaching? I explained how grateful I am for their hard work and I hope they have a wonderful year –I think they were truly blindsided!
Of course, we did have to go over some fundraiser information, but it was so much easier to have their full attention after a ButterBurger feast. Note to self: have food at every teacher meeting.
It made my heart so warm to know that I could put a smile on everyone’s face after the ButterBurger Blindside. Truly, it’s the little things that can change your day for the better and I love that Culver’s collaborated with me to do so. Now we’re off to a great start for the new school year!
What is something that you’ve done to brighten someone’s day lately? When you eat at Culver’s, what’s your favorite menu item?
This makes me SO happy! This is an example of how blogging can be such an incredible blessing. Teachers work so hard; love that you thought of them, and I am sure they loved every minute. Great work 🙂
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Ashley you are amazing! How do you do all that you do?! What’s great surprise for your school! We are Culver’s lovers too!
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