Jarrod Haneline’s fate was all wrapped up.
Literally.
The assistant principal had volunteered to be taped to a palm tree outside Bryan Elementary School to raise money for childhood bone cancer.
He expected many students to participate, paying $1 for one strip of heavy duty duct tape. But, he didn’t expect a throng of hundreds to swarm around him.
The three students that walked by during preparation should have been a warning to him. They sipped on their purple punch drinks and pointed to their beloved “Mr. H.”
“You have the duct tape?” one student said.
“That tree?” another said.
They and cheered in anticipation.
From the moment the kindergartners came out, it was chaos. They started with the classic silver tape, winding around and around. Then, came the Superman, Batman, pink and green tape. Each student skipped away excitedly, waving their hands and giving their waiting friends a thumbs up.
Each grade shuffled in and out of the courtyard, and teachers arrived, camera phones in hand, to capture the moment. Even Principal Cheryl Boddie stalked the grounds, teasing her right-hand man. Her laugh could be heard echoing through the outside hallways.
“This was a very good idea,” she said to one of her teachers.
There were so many students who wanted to add a sticky strip to the cocoon that teachers had to quit allowing them to wrap all the way around and instead place a foot-long piece on top of the existing tape. When his legs and torso were covered, they started aiming for his shoes. Then, his mouth.
“If I had claustrophobia right now, I’d be worried,” Haneline said during the event. “Too bad I do have claustrophobia.”
Tighter and tighter the duct tape wound. Haneline mentioned he felt like he had asthma as the unforgiving material constricted around his waist like a girdle.
But, the pain was worth it. Each dollar the students paid will go toward Pasta for Pennies. Although the school has participated in the fundraiser in the past, this is the first year its students have taped anyone to a tree for it.
Second-grade teacher Morgann Mathis led the cancer drive this year and saw the idea on Pinterest. When the tape wouldn’t stick to the Bryan’s brick walls, she decided a tree would be a good replacement. And, “Mr. H” would be the perfect victim.
“He’s silly,” Mathis said. “He’s fun. He’ll do whatever for the fun of the kids.”
After the fifth-graders were finished, it was time to pull the makeshift stool out from under Haneline’s feet to see if he would stick to the tree.
One teacher approached to make sure he could support Haneline if he fell face first.
The students got quiet.
The stool was removed.
Haneline stuck.
Cheers erupted in the courtyard. Children screamed. Teachers hooted. Boddie fell into fits of laughter.
“OK everyone, time to go home,” Boddie said. “We’ll see you tomorrow.”
She was teasing Haneline.
But, Boddie won’t be laughing for long.
“What about the ‘pasgetti?’” a student asks.
In two weeks, students will be able to dump bowls of spaghetti on Boddie and Haneline. Yet another initiative to raise funds for Pasta for Pennies.
“I think it’s time for dismissal,” Haneline said.
Seventy-one minutes and 752 students later, Haneline was still hanging from the tree.
The bell rang.
Children flocked to their buses. But, the teachers still didn’t released Haneline. They snapped pictures with him to send to the district before finally bringing out the scissors.
Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver.com.