NB principal dresses up as Christmas turkey to teach students about holiday giving

It’s not often that students get to see their principal dressed up in a turkey suit.

But that’s exactly what happen at Bessborough School in Moncton on Thursday.

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Moncton’s annual turkey drive got a helping hand from the students who marched hundreds of turkeys down to the drop off zone at their local fire station lead by their very own head fowl.

“It’s ok to look like a fool when you teach the kids to do the right thing,” said principal Nick Mattatall, dressed in a head-to-toe turkey costume.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It's ok to look like a fool when you teach the kids to do the right thing," said principal Nick Mattatall, dressed in a head-to-toe turkey costume.

The turkeys will be handed out to the local food bank and given to families in need who can’t afford to buy turkeys of their own this Christmas.

READ MORE: ‘Better than Christmas’: Moncton student gets ride to school in fire truck

Sue Stultz and the Moncton Fire Fighters Association have been heading up the annual turkey drive for the past 19 years.

“You are helping the children understand that there are people out there that needs out help and they have stepped up to the plate,” said Stultz, who is hoping to collect more than 4,300 turkeys for this year’s turkey drive.

The students from Bessborough School spent weeks raising money to buy some of the birds, others came in as donations. Well over 200 kids stuffed their arms with turkeys and trotted behind Mattatall’s big yellow turkey feet to drop off the frozen birds.

“It’s real life learning. It’s hands on learning. It’s learning about giving back to others, it teaches the kids empowerment and food security it is all the important things in life,” said Mattatall, proud of his students who managed to donate 265 turkeys to the drive.