Students find stylish way to donate to good cause

Post Falls Middle School teacher Stephanie Zoldak learned of her fate in the school bulletin.

She never realized being a blonde would become part of the job description for teaching seventh-grade English.

But there it was in print for the entire school to read. Zoldak, the 53-year-old teacher who has taught middle school for 32 years, was going blond if the students raised $800 in pennies, quarters and other small change for the Union Gospel Mission in Spokane to help provide the area’s less fortunate with a Thanksgiving meal. The idea was hatched by her students and Principal Don Boyk.

“Did you notice the part where no one asked me?” Zoldak said Tuesday, as she sat stiffly in a chair in the Nichole & Co. Salon in Post Falls.

Mission accomplished, and Zoldak is getting a whole new look. The nearly 800 students raised $847.20 for the mission, cash which will mean 345 people can have a warm meal for two nights. Mission representatives weren’t available for comment Tuesday.

Zoldak hasn’t been blond for 30 years. And she doesn’t remember if blondes do indeed have more fun.

“This might be the chance,” joked librarian Gail Kaisaki, who hopes the new color will bring Zoldak some good times. Kaisaki showed up with a camera to document Zoldak’s transformation.

Zoldak rolled her eyes as stylist Sara Chase painted a thick blue mixture of bleach on her dark brown tresses that showed a few strands of gray. A few minutes under a dryer, a wash and some scissor snips to create a hip bob, and voila – Zoldak was a blonde. Yet she won’t have her coming-out party until Monday, when the students are back from the Thanksgiving holiday.

As Zoldak waited for the chemicals to bleach her hair, the students in her class across town were rowdy and squirmy as they waited for the day to end and their holiday to start. Nearly every one of them agreed Zoldak isn’t going to look good with her new do. And most admitted the motivation to raise the money wasn’t to feed the needy but to embarrass their teacher. They also liked the fact that Zoldak gave candy each time anyone dropped some coins into the brown Hope Jar on her desk.

“I think a lot of people gave money just because she was handing out candy,” Jessica Kraus said. “But I also think it’s a good cause.”

Cheyanne Malar can’t imagine blond as a good color choice for Zoldak.

“We’ve only seen her with brown hair,” she said. “But it’s kinda cool, spicing up her lifestyle.”

Caleb Stull gave some coins because he tried to imagine people spending Thanksgiving alone.

“I know how much it means to me to have a family and stuff at Thanksgiving,” Stull said. “I can’t imagine how hard it would be not to have anyone.”

Regardless of the candy and her own personal embarrassment, Zoldak said the students learned how important it is to share and that even one penny can make a difference.

“I call it a mitzvah, a blessing,” Zoldak said. “You’re supposed to help each other more. If they would have said blue hair, I would have done it.”