By Kris Leonhardt

MARSHFIELD – A Marshfield business is providing local school art funding by placing the cause right in the community’s hands.

“One of the goals of the Coffee Cabin is to always give back to our community. I could probably give ourselves out of business if my husband let me, but I decided that I wanted to do something for art teachers…I feel bad that art programs get undercut…,” explained Coffee Cabin owner, Kirsten Tertin.

“I recently became very good friends with the art teacher at Grant (Elementary School). We share the same kind of love for that stuff. So, I asked her if she would be willing to have the students color the sleeves, because how cool would it be to have the community see the kids’ artwork right in their hand?

During the holiday season, Grant Elementary students will be designing sleeves for the Coffee Cabin to sell. Submitted photo

“Then, I thought, ‘Well, that’s not fair.’ So, we had to open it to all of the schools, but how fun would it be to have a Christmas competition where for one week we feature each school. Whoever sells the most sleeves, we’ll do brackets where the top winner wins $1,000; the second place gets $500.”

The funds raised would then go directly to the school.

“This year we are just doing Grant. I dream big, but I don’t plan well, so this year we are just doing Grant. Next year, we are hoping that more schools will get involved,” Tertin stated.

“Nasonville is signing up with us for next year already. Spencer would probably be interested in doing it, and Washington – the PTO from Washington – reached out too. So, we have the interest, we just didn’t plan it that way. We don’t have what we need right now for this year, but next year we want to get all of the schools involved.

“If all five schools want to compete, we will start the week after Thanksgiving. We’ll drop a box of sleeves off at every elementary school, and then the elementary school students can color that, return it to us, and then we’ll sell just that box of sleeves for that week. Whoever sells the most sleeves will win the prizes in the brackets.”

But, for this holiday season, Grant Elementary students will be designing the sleeves for the Coffee Cabin to sell.

“The whole elementary is doing it. If we sell both boxes of sleeves, if we go through both boxes, we will give (the teacher) her own shopping spree,” Tertin added.

The program launched Dec. 4 and runs through the holiday season, concluding at the end of the month.

“I’m always thinking forward as well, like how can we bring an issue to the light, without just making a Facebook post about it, and the best thing even for marketing is on a cup sleeve,” Tertin said.

“So, the best way for me to put a cause or awareness to what we are raising funds for is to put it right in their hand.

“Let’s put it right on the sleeve, let’s raise money for our teachers for Christmas, let’s make this a yearly thing, and let’s impact the community that way.

The Coffee Cabin is located at 103 W. Kalsched St., Marshfield. For more information on the program, contact Tertin at [email protected]