Laverne Foster, left, and Pam Jarrett, accept delivery of 2,100 pounds of candle sales kits from UPS deliveryman Joel McDonald. The kits were processed at the central office on Dec. 14 and will be distributed to students and faculty members on Jan 3, 2013. | Clif Knight

The newly-formed Morgan County Schools Foundation has announced plans for a fundraising campaign that will involve all 18 schools and their 8,450 administrators, teachers and students.

Sales kits for the Community of Unity Candle Campaign will be placed in the hands of teachers and students when they return to classes on Jan. 3, 2013. For the next two weeks, they will take orders for Gold Canyon Candles, an Arizona-made product ranging in price from $14 to $22. Scratch and sniff cards will be used to help customers make a choice of fragrances.

Candle orders will be filled and returned to the buyer approximately two weeks after the campaign ends on January 17.

Profits for the candle sale will go to the Morgan County Schools Foundation and will be used to help fund a system-wide Seven Habits Leader in Me Program, which was initiated earlier this year.

“This is the first time in the history of Morgan County Schools that everyone, from the superintendent to the kindergarten student, will be working hand-in-hand to raise money for the benefit of students, said Pam Jarrett, fundraising consultant. “We believe that we should invest in ourselves first before we go out and ask the corporate community to invest in the education of our children by making a contribution to the Foundation.”

Kerrick Whisenant, a Foundation board member, said about $20,000 has been donated to the foundation as a result of an inaugural “Power of 100” campaign, which offers charter status to each person who contributes.

“Our goal is to double that with proceeds from this fundraiser,” he pointed out.” “Ultimately, we want to reach $1 million.”

Each salesperson will have the opportunity to win prizes based on his or her productivity.

The number one candle seller from each school will have the option of a football signed by either Coach Nick Saban of the University of Alabama or Coach Gus Malzahn of Auburn University or a $100 gift certificate. The top three sellers from the faculties will also receive gifts and the class that winds up with the highest sales figures will receive a pizza party.

A grant prize will also be awarded. Each student who sells a candle will have his or her name entered in a grand drawing.

After candles are delivered to their buyers, a celebration will be conducted on Feb. 12 at a location yet to be decided. It will feature a candle lighting to represent each classroom in the school system.