Cashing in with the Gotcha box

By Katie Robinson- Chilliwack Progress - November 27, 2007

Rohtash Mann isn’t that interested in hockey.

It’s OK, he says, I like basketball better.

But after seeing the Chilliwack Bruins thrash the Seattle Thunderbirds 6 to 2 in an October meeting, Rohtash is definitely interested in seeing another game, “a real game, not a TV game,” he says.

Rohtash – a Grade 6 student at Little Mountain elementary – was awarded a pair of Bruins tickets for exhibiting greatness in his school. He didn’t have to get straight As; he didn’t have to be a star athlete – all he had to do was exemplify the four Bs: Be kind. Be safe. Be respectful. Be responsible.

Little Mountain is one of 21 elementary, middle and secondary schools in the Fraser Valley participating in the Otto Mammel Adopt-a-School program.

Adopt-a-School ties local businesses together with Fraser Valley schools in an effort to provide young students with the inspiration to achieve. Individual companies are partnered with individual schools. The sponsoring company donates 10 season tickets to its school, which will create programs to reward students who excel in various aspects of academics, sports and special projects.

At Little Mountain, there’s a Gotcha box.

Every time a student in the school is kind, safe, respectful, responsible, or all four, their name gets thrown into the Gotcha box. The first name drawn from the box wins the tickets.

“We’re trying to spread the recognition around,” said vice principal and Grade 6 teacher Ian Gardner. “It’s a really nice incentive for our students to do responsible things around the school. They know how do these things, this is just encouraging them to do them more.”

And after winning his first set of tickets, Rohtash is encouraged – he wants his name in that box again.

He wants another pair of tickets. Who knows, maybe he’ll even become a hockey fan.

For more information on the Otto Mammel Adopt-a-School program, contact the Chilliwack Bruins at 604-792-4625.