In this screenshot from a video posted by Sioux Falls Argus Leader reporter Annie Todd that went viral this weekend, local teachers scramble for a $1 bill on the ice at a hockey game bridge at Sioux Falls Stampede on Saturday.
Annie Todd / Screenshot of NPR
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Annie Todd / Screenshot of NPR
A South Dakota hockey team and mortgage loan company are apologizing for a widely circulated incident in which teachers scrambled for dollar bills on the ice while play was paused.
Sioux Falls Stampede, a minor league team, called Saturday’s event a “Dash for Cash”. It involved pouring $5,000 in $1 bills around a rug in the center of the ice, then inviting 10 teachers from local schools to scoop it up as fans cheered.
Videos of educators – wearing hockey helmets and stuffing money in their shirts and pockets – went viral over the weekend, after they were posted to twitter by Sioux Falls leader Argus reporter Annie Todd.
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Organizers say all money teachers can get their hands on will be used for their own classes and curriculum, and framed it as a way to help educators in the context pandemic stress.
Instead, like NPR’s Bill Chappell reported, it drew widespread condemnation from critics and brought national attention to South Dakota’s low teacher pay.
Stampede and CU Mortgage Direct, which raised the cash for the contest, are now apologizing to the teachers and adding $500 each.
“While our aim is to provide a positive and enjoyable experience for teachers, we can see how demeaning and offensive it may seem to the teachers involved and to the entire teaching profession”, the organizers said in a statement in Monday. “We deeply regret and apologize to all the teachers for any embarrassment this may have caused.”
They reiterated that the promotion was aimed at raising funds for local teachers and classrooms, and explained that they randomly selected 10 participants from a pool of 31 registrants. The team says it is giving them additional funds, totaling $15,500 to teachers in the area.
“Together with CU Mortgage Direct, we will be providing an additional $500 to teachers who participated in the event as well as offering $500 to 21 additional applicants who were unable to participate,” it said.
It also promised to work with the South Dakota Teachers Association on future events that will support teachers and “sponsorate our next generation.”
As Chappell reported, South Dakota ranked last in the country in terms of education spending, both in terms of the average teacher salary and the average amount it pays per student.
This story originally appeared in the Morning version live blogs.
