Laughter filled the gym of Cochran Elementary School Wednesday afternoon, as fifth- and first-grade classes shared an ice cream cake donated by Turkey Hill Ice Cream. The celebration marked the good fortune of brothers Foreman and Charlie Stewart, who earned a year's supply of ice cream after winning a contest at the Pennsylvania Farm Show earlier this year in Harrisburg.
The state Department of Agriculture teamed with the ice cream company to supply ice cream cake for both boy's classes, as well as cups of ice cream for the entire student body. George D. Grieg, secretary of the department, was in attendance to hand a year's supply of coupons to the two boys.
Both boys completed a course of 28 "learning stations" during the Farm Show. Children were asked to complete only 15 stations in order to have their names placed into a drawing for a year's supply of ice cream.
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SAVANNAH DEMPSEY/Sun-Gazette
The Turkey Hill promotional cow visits Cochran Elementary School on Wednesday, much to the delight of students. The cow weighs about 2,000 pounds and stands 13 feet tall, including the trailer. It was accompanied by an ice cream treat for all of the students.
According to Nichole L.C. Bucher, of the department's press office, more than 2,000 names were entered into the drawing and more than 10,000 children participated in some of the learning stations.
"The stations were hands-on activities that taught things like how to milk a cow, or how bees make honey," Bucher said.
The two boys were overjoyed when they heard they had won the grand prize.
"I couldn't believe it; I was so excited," first-grader Charlie Stewart said.
The boys received an empty ice cream container full of coupons, equaling a year's supply of ice cream.
"They didn't know what to make of it. They were both very excited," said Paul Starkey, the boys' stepfather.
"They thought there was going to be a big truck coming to their school, full of a year's supply of ice cream that we would keep in a huge freezer," Starkey added, laughing.
