Students at Hampton High School will be hosting a bake sale fundraiser this Thursday, but they have issued a challenge to other Carter County Schools: out-perform them. They dare you.

English teacher Sharon Thomas said the school’s National Honor Society came up with the fundraiser last year, raising money for the Elizabethton/Carter County Animal Shelter.

“We have a lot of kids that have a love for animals,” Thomas said.

The bake sale is not the only part of their fundraising efforts however. The society also lets students, for a dollar, “Wear a Hat, Save a Cat.”

Thomas said this part was enormously popular last year.

“[Jeff] Bradley says he has no issues with it,” she said. “Half of our money last year came from the hats.”

She said that is quite the success, considering they raised roughly $250 last year, a figure she said they were surprised to see at first.

The bake sale takes place at the front door when students walk in, and then continues with a cart the students bring around to the classrooms during the day.

Thomas said they get into the spirit of what they are supporting throughout the day.

“When we announce it, we do a meow on the intercom,” she said.

All of this, she said, is to help the Animal Shelter, who frequently runs near or at maximum capacity on both cats and dogs.

This desire to help the shelter, she said, bears fruit because many of her students have animals of their own, highlighting the need.

“It does not cost a whole lot to make some cookies,” she said. “We sell our baked goods relatively cheap. It is not some grand amount.”

As for the challenge, Thomas said they want to see other schools do similar fundraisers, including the homeschool, Happy Valley, Unaka and Cloudland honor societies.

The sale will go from 7:30 to 8 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 21, at Hampton High School. Students interested in participating need only bring $1 to be able to wear a hat to school, while the baked goods will have varying prices.