SRCS Students Show Some Love

Mother Teresa is quoted as saying “we can do no great things, only small things with great love.” A group of students showed their love for a teacher at Salmon River Central School when they assembled and sold frybread tacos and donated the money to Mohawk teacher, Mrs. Vivian Smoke.

Mrs. Smoke’s husband had a serious surgery and will need several months of rehabilitation. The SRCS Mohawk Club, along with club advisor, Ms. Katsitsionni Fox, and Principal, Alison Benedict, wanted to do something to help Mrs. Smoke. They decided on the taco sale. “The students were more than willing to take on the fundraiser to help Mrs. Smoke and her husband with health related expenses,” explained Ms. Fox. “They had experience with making tacos from the week before at Fall Fest.”

Fellow Mohawk teacher, Mrs. Martha Lickers, and Mrs. Benedict donated the chili and the other food items were donated by students and staff. Some of the frybread was made the night before but most was made the day of the sale. Ms. Fox and the Mohawk Club President, Mikayla Francis, were the frybread chefs. The Mohawk Club students helped out during their study halls and lunch period. Ms. Fox took advantage of a teachable moment, “ I brought down my second period Native Studies class and gave them a lesson in making frybread.”

Pre orders were taken from the staff at Salmon River, St. Regis Mohawk School as well as the St. Regis Mohawk Health Services. High school secretary Mrs. Judy Fleury took all the orders and Mrs. Kim Russell, along with the students, helped with the delivery of the tacos. “We had all the orders ready by 11:10 a.m., in plenty of time for lunch,” explained Ms. Fox. The word on the street is that these were some pretty tasty tacos. Mrs. Russell said it was the “best taco I ever had.”

Over 50 tacos were sold and the students were able to present Mrs. Smoke with $630 to help out with medical expenses for her husband, Carl.

“Oh my gosh, I got so choked up! This has never happened to us and it is so overwhelming,” exclaimed Mrs. Smoke. “ I want to thank the students and staff here and at the Mohawk school and the community. I am very touched and grateful.”

Ms. Fox would also like to say “niawenkowa to the SRC Mohawk Club, Native Studies class, volunteer students and to the staff who helped make this fundraiser a success.”