Quentin Road Christian students eat 100-foot long banana split

When you're a kid, a 100-foot banana split just makes all kinds of sense.

Students at Quentin Road Christian School in Lake Zurich were the recipients of such a treat as a reward for raising nearly $30,000 to help bolster the school's science and P.E. departments.

“The kids are very excited and thrilled by the banana split,” teacher Fred Wolff said Monday. “They have been looking forward to it all day.”

Wolff said the children were rewarded with the extra-long banana split for selling tickets to a school fundraiser to 1,800 people on April 15 and 16.

In total, students prepared and cooked about 450 pizzas in one night during the annual fundraiser. The school netted $29,317 in proceeds from the event.

The money raised will be used to pay for new science and sports equipment, locker room renovations, books and field trips.

The banana split wasn't a single banana, but rather numerous banana splits put inside a tin-foil lined 100-foot gutter in the school gymnasium. The students stood in front of the gutter, which stretched over 14 tables, then gobbled down on the sweet treat.

“We used 10 gallons of ice cream, 9 cans of whipped cream and 320 cherries to make it,” said teacher Keith Birginal. “It fed 169 students.”

Wolff said the teachers received the idea from a visiting Ohio pastor who used the banana split to reward students for a job well done.

“We told students that, if they did a good job on the fundraiser, then would be something special for them,” he said. “The students were outstanding, They were really enthusiastic over the things they should be enthusiastic about.”

Quentin Road Christian School serves students from kindergarten to grade 12 in Lake Zurich.