Students at Leicester Elementary told principal Penny Caldwell to pucker up - it was pig kissin’ time. After raising more than $10,000 for the school’s PTO fundraiser, the grand prize was achieved - seeing the principal share a peck with Ms. Molly, a three-month-old all-black piglet.
Molly was wheeled out in a carrier to a gym of cheering students and PTO president Donna Rhinehart handed Ms. Caldwell a stick of bright red lipstick. The time they had all spent working towards had arrived, and the crowd went wild.
“I played it up for the kids, acting like I really didn’t want to,” Ms. Caldwell said. “But really, I was a little nervous. Molly was nervous, too! But it was all worth it to help with the fundraiser for our PTO.”
A small red blot colored Molly’s back where Ms. Caldwell had kissed her, and despite calls from the students to kiss Molly on the lips or nose, she respected the animal’s personal space and kept it to a peck on her side.
“Ms. Caldwell will do anything we ask to support the kids here,” said Ms. Rhinehart. “The PTO is working together with her to help Leicester Elementary School be the best it can be. Sometimes you have to kiss a pig to make big things happen!”