Phelps-a-Thon at Boulder High School pays it forward

[The Straight Story]

Phelps-a-Thon at Boulder High School pays it forward

Fred Phelps may think God hates fags, but the Phelps-a-Thon has found a way to turn the activities of the hated Westboro Baptist Church into a lovely cause. Created in 2009 by Boston-area college student Chris Mason, the Phelps-a-Thon asks people to donate small amounts of money for every minute that Westboro pickets or protests at a particular event; the money is then donated to organizations that support equal-rights groups. The goal is to channel "passion against Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church into donations to make positive change for all people affected by the hateful message being spread by WBC," according to Phelps-a-Thon.com.


On Thursday, April 22, Phelps and company are expected to be outside Boulder High School from 2:45 to 3:15 p.m. as part of a three-day hatefest in the Denver area. But the Phelps-a-Thon will also be there in spirit, collecting pledges for every minute that the "church" is outside the school and giving the money to the Boulder High School Gay/Straight Alliance.

Boulder High principal Kevin Braney says he believes a parent contacted Mason (who couldn't be reached for comment). The school also has its own plan for dealing with Westboro. "We have three things we are focusing on," he explains. "The physical and emotional well-being of our kids, making sure they are safe; doing everything we can to maintain the integrity of our learning environment; and supporting the student body if they have a voice — and they do — by giving them a way in which they can do that."

When school lets out at 3 p.m. on Thursday, says Braney, most students plan to exit through the back doors, where they'll join in an event celebrating unity. "They have had a unity-week theme going since last Friday," the principal notes. All that will be visible in the front of the school, where the Westboro whiners will gather, are the massive homemade signs on which every student who participated in unity week has made a handprint.

http://www.westword.com/2010-04-22/news/phelps-a-thon-at-boulder-high-school-pays-it-forward/

[The Straight Story]

1. kick (nt)

[complain jane]

2. This is great! n/t