Swine Week Q&A

It’s the time of the year when Edmond high schools gather to give back to their community. Edmond North’s Balto Week, Edmond Santa Fe’s Double Wolf Dare Week and EdmondMemorial’s Swine Week are focused on fun activities and raising money for a good cause. Outlook visited with EdmondMemorial teacher Jeff Lovett to learn more about Swine Week.

How did Swine Week come about?

Edmond Memorial’s annual community service project, Swine Week, began in 1986 when a small group of students decided to raise money for a friend in need. The students approached the principal with a goal of raising $3,000. The principal supported the endeavor and agreed to kiss a pig in front of the student body if the goal was achieved. The students raised $3,000, the principal kissed a pig, and Swine Week was born.

Thirty-three years later, students at Edmond Memorial have raised nearly $6.5 million for various non-profit organizations. Last year, $479,801 was raised for the organization Make Promises Happen.

Who coordinates Swine Week?

Swine Week activities are all student-led. The 35 members of Edmond Memorial’s Student Council plan, organize, and run each event. The student body can also be directly involved in raising money by signing up to be a royalty member. Each royalty member has an individual goal of raising $2,000 through selling homemade snacks, designing and selling t-shirts, and talking to local families and businesses about contributing to the cause.

Although Swine Week is student-led, the success of Swine Week hinges on the generosity of our alumni and our local community. Without the generosity of countless individuals, Swine Week wouldn’t be possible.