Area teachers receive sweet treats of gratitude during pandemic

The feeling of appreciation can be as sweet as sugar, and local teachers will be getting a taste of both in the coming weeks.

The chiropractors at PC Wellness Centers and Bon Bon's of Cape Girardeau have teamed up to show their appreciation for teachers by delivering treats to local schools.

Dr. Aaron Andrews, chiropractic physician at PC Wellness Centers, said they plan to deliver treats to every public and parochial elementary, middle, and high school within approximately 15 miles, including Cape Girardeau, Jackson, Scott City and a few other surrounding cities.

Dr. Greg Pursley, chiropractic physician at PC Wellness Centers, said given all the extra stress caused by COVID-19, he and Andrews wanted to do something to help "lighten the teacher's spirits."

"[Teachers] are doing a lot of extra work, and dealing with a lot of extra stress due to the coronavirus," Pursley said. "We thought it'd be fun to give back to the community and try to give the teachers something to smile about."

Terri Jestus digital and social media coordinator at PC Wellness Centers, picks the treats up from Bon Bon's of Cape Girardeau on Thursdays and delivers them to the schools.

The amount of treats also varies by school, but Bon Bon's of Cape Girardeau makes approximately 300 treats for Jestus to deliver each week. Some of these treats include brownie bites, lemon drops and cookie bites.

The deliveries began with Cape Central High School and Jackson High School on Sept. 4. Jestus recently made stops at Cape Junior High School, Cape Middle School and Notre Dame Regional High School.

"We thought it'd be cool to do it at the end of the week, especially after they've had an interesting couple of weeks getting started with school," Pursley said. "That way, they get to end on a high note."

Andrews' came up with the idea to show appreciation to local teachers with treats, Pursley said. But with COVID-19 regulations, Pursley was worried they may not be accepting of outside items.

"It was actually really well received by all the schools we called," Pursley said. "They were really excited about it."

Stephenie Gardiner, owner of Bon Bon's in Cape Girardeau, said they were excited to take part in the project, as well.

"We were just happy that they were doing something for the teachers," Gardiner said. "It's those little things that can help the teachers feel appreciated, so we were all about it."

The deliveries will continue each week through the end of October.