9-year-old raising money to repair school roof

May 29, 2007

By Amie Pappas

Frontiersman

MAT-SU - While many kids will be spending their summer on the lake, or playing video games, 9-year-old Kurt Statz has other plans.

He plans to raise $5,000 dollars this summer for a new roof for his school.

Matanuska Christian School teacher Roben Collins said Kurt's mother, Denise Statz, came to the school to tell her about Kurt's plans. Collins said while she thought it was a nice idea, she wasn't sure how it would go.

To her surprise, Kurt earned more than $600 his first week. Then she began to take the idea more seriously.

&#8220That's what kind of class I have had this year.” Collins said. &#8220Amazing kids.”

Kurt, with help from his mom, owner of the Nonessentials gift shop in Palmer, set up a booth at Friday Flings, just down the street from the school. His booth holds a mishmash of local Alaska-made products like jam, fudge and soap, as well as global items like colorful woven baskets from Ghana. He even sells $2 bags of rhubarb that his family grows at home.

His father said he would match Kurt's earnings with an equal amount of labor and materials for the roof.

&#8220It has become sort of a friendly family competition,” Kurt's mother said.

Kurt was able to acquire goods on a &#8220Net 30” trade system from Alaska vendors, where he is given items up front and is expected to pay in full, 30 days after delivery. After paying for his cache last week, he was able to deposit $200 cash for his cause.

Kurt's mom said the African baskets were a hit the first week because shoppers would buy them and use them to carry other items they bought at the street market.

Several people stop by every week to pick up small items from Kurt, knowing where the profits are going - and to support his efforts.

At the booth, deal hunters stop to look at Kurt's eye-catching chocolate truffles and pull out bills for exchange.

But it won't be all work for Kurt this summer. He will take some time off for outdoor fun. He's looking forward to playing baseball.

His favorite items that he sells are the rhubarb and the baskets.

&#8220But,” he said animatedly, &#8220We are going to be getting new products in.”

Contact Amie Pappas at

352-2284 or amie.pappas@ frontiersman.com.