Community-based independent Ring Bros. Marketplace in South Dennis, Mass., and barbecue grill and accessory supplier Breakaway Gas, also based in South Dennis, raised over $700 for Ezra H. Baker Elementary School during a fundraiser held in late August.

The “Kid’s Day” event was held at the Ring Bros. store, at which Ken “Doctor of Grillology” Foster prepared grilled foods for shoppers while the Dennis Police and Fire Department provided free child-safety seat inspections. Money was raised through the sale of hot dogs at the grill as well as donations taken at the cash registers.

Money raised during “Kid’s Day” will be combined with donations from Ring Bros. Marketplace’s spring fundraiser to purchase a new SMART board for the school --interactive white boards that enhance instruction and learning. Content is delivered to the board via a computer and projector to the touch-sensitive interface. The image projected on the board can then be controlled by touching the board with a person’s hand, fingers or special pens that make use of a variety of colors. Changes to the lesson can be saved at the end of class and resumed at a later time.

“Every grade 1-3 class now has its own dedicated SMART Board,” said Baker principal Kevin Depin, “The new SMART Board [has been] ordered and will be installed in the next few weeks.”

SMART Boards are especially useful in classrooms with only one computer, according to Depin, as students can work together with individuals contributing at the board, other participants at the computer, and the group as a whole discussing the activity. “These are not just toys or fun gadgets, they increase students’ engagement and attention,” explained Depin. “When we introduce a SMART board to a new classroom, the teacher is required to complete a graduate-level course so the full potential of the technology is realized.”

Dark Horse Beef and Deli Co. donated the hot dogs, Ring Bros. donated the rolls, and Nata’s Noodles and Sysco Foodservice donated potato chips for the event. Foster and the crew from Breakaway Gas donated their time and the X-Grill, a massive portable kitchen made from an old oil truck.