Chick-fil-A...Ice Cold Water!

Not all students at a high school know who the athletic director is or what he does. Heck, some of those not involved in sports don’t even know such a person exists. Most students at Richland Northeast High School didn’t know Mike as the athletic director; they knew him as “The Chick-fil-A Man.” Mike earned this title by selling Chick-fil-A sandwiches in the courtyard every day, chanting “Chick-fil-A…Ice Cold Water!” There was a rhythm to it. A chant. The kind of thing that really got on the students’ nerves. (Though the word on the street is they miss it now and tell the others who have been selling the sandwiches since January that they don’t do it right.) In fact, I think Ringling Brothers was waiting on Mike’s retirement in a few years, so they could recruit him to pawn off cotton candy and fresh, fluffy popcorn.

The faculty at Richland Northeast is planning to create a memorial for Mike to be placed near the courtyard where he became famous. (Or is that infamous?) Though nothing is carved in stone yet (still waiting on those price quotes!), they’re hoping to have a three-foot cavalier mounted on a three- or four-foot pedestal. They know this is going to be pretty pricey, so some fundraisers are in the works. Friday, May 16, is going to be Mike Starnes Night at the Chick-fil-A on Decker Boulevard. (This is just about a half mile or so from Columbia Place, formerly known as Columbia Mall.) A portion of sales from the evening will go towards the purchase of the memorial. All you have to do to help is dine at the Chick-fil-A on Decker Boulevard between the hours of 4:00pm and 8:00pm on May 16 and place your receipt in the one of the baskets at the registers. (The receipt part is very important…no receipt, no portion of the proceeds!) The staff at Chick-fil-A is planning on having all sorts of things going on that night…I believe karaoke was even mentioned! I sing about as well as Cameron Diaz in My Best Friend’s Wedding, so don’t even think I’m getting near the microphone. I’ll be happy to cheer others of you on, though! T-shirts will be available at Chick-fil-A on Mike Starnes Night. They are blue with white writing and the cost is $10. The front has a cavalier boxed in with a braid (symbolizing Mike bracelets) and the back has Mike’s famous words, “Chick-fil-A…Ice Cold Water.”

If you can’t make it to Mike Starnes Night but would like to make a donation towards the memorial, you can send a check made payable to Richland Northeast High School to the school. Donations may be sent to the following address:

Janet Bush
Richland Northeast High School
7500 Brookfield Road
Columbia, South Carolina 29223

I do have to give a shout out to the Chick-fil-A on Decker Boulevard for donating the food for Ava’s birthday party. Ava turned 3 on Friday, and she just loves Chick-fil-A, so that’s what was on the birthday menu for Little Miss Priss. (Her father did not brainwash her…I think this penchant came from the fact that her mother doesn’t cook and she has frequented the establishment often.) Chick-fil-A donated all of the food to us at no cost to our family, and Ava loved, loved, loved her birthday dinner! And being the proud mother that I am, I have to take this opportunity to share a couple of pictures from the festivities. I know, I have no shame. (And, by the way, for those of you who don't know--Ava has NEVER had a hair cut. That is all her hair has grown in three years! On the bright side, it's a breeze to fix when we're running late and I don't have to have her battle with hair dressers to sit still for a cut.)