HELENA – When demolition begins on the current Jim Darcy Elementary School, an unusual and monumental structure will go down with it.
It’s a wall of cupcakes that Jim Darcy Principal Brian Cummings has been building for the past ten years.
Cummings says he didn’t plan on building it — it just sort of started and then took on a life of its own.
He estimates there are more than 2,000 cupcakes in the towering creation.
Because it will have to go down with the school the tower has been immortalized in photos given to him by both the construction company on the new building, Dick Anderson Construction, and his own adult children.
“Kids love it, I love it. It just morphed into something that was really fun for us. It’s really added to the culture and climate. Even though it’s silly, bringing kids in, touching base with me, knowing that there’s a touch of fun in this office at all times. Even with parents, ” says Cummings. “I’m pretty sad that I’m going to lose this.”
While we were visiting the school today, a time capsule that was buried by the front door was unearthed ahead of the school’s demolition.
The capsule was buried by Jim Darcy students and staff in 2004.
It contained photos, letters written by kids and teachers, newspapers, and small tokens of childhood from the time, like a cereal box and a McDonald’s toy.
Reporting by Melissa Jensen for MTN News
