When Dames Ferry Elementary School fifth-grade teachers first started talking about the dinner portion of their dinner theatre fund-raiser, the big topic was the menu. While good food was important, they had to remember that raising money for educational resources was their number one goal.

They finally agreed that grilling hamburgers and hot dogs was the way to go. From there, they decided to contact Fred Collins, a school council member and employee at Rinker Materials, to see if his company could provide a grill and chef.

The fifth-grade teachers were thrilled with his response. Not only was Rinker willing to provide a chef and grill, but they offered to provide everything for the meal, including hamburgers, hot dogs, buns, drinks, paper products and condiments. And when the ticket sales went from an estimated 100 to an actual 250, Rinker didn’t flinch.

So, on a beautiful afternoon in mid-December, Collins and other Rinker employees pulled into the DFES parking lot in their pickup trucks with a massive grill in tow, looking like the modern day equivalent of knights in shining armor. The drinks were iced, the food was soon prepared and served, and the Rinker employees rode off into the sunset, leaving a lot of happy and appreciative Dragons in their wake. They had helped the DFES fifth-grade teachers raise needed funds and serve a great meal, as well.

Many thanks to Rinker Materials and its employees, to Middle Georgia Concessions for providing chips, and to Ingles Bakery Department for providing the desserts for this event. These wonderful sponsors helped make the first dinner theatre a huge success.