The organisers of a “dystopian” event in which 10 school teachers from South Dakota had participated have apologised for the embarrassment caused to them and their profession.
In the “Dash for Cash” event that was held during the Sioux Falls Stampede junior ice hockey game at the Denny Sanford Premier Centre on Saturday, teachers had to crawl on the floor to grab as many dollar bills as they possibly could so they could add to funds needed for renovating their classrooms and schools.
The event was severely criticised on social media, with users comparing it to recent Netflix hit Squid Game and the Hunger Games movie franchise.
CU Mortgage Direct and the Sioux Falls Stampede hockey club, who organised the “Dash for Cash” promotional event, apologised on Monday after the criticism.
The organisers said that while the intent of the event was to provide “a positive and fun experience for teachers”, they saw how it “appears to be degrading and insulting towards the participating teachers and the teaching profession”.
“We deeply regret and apologise to all teachers for any embarrassment this may have caused,” the statement by the hosts said.
It added that the promotional activity was carried out to help in fundraising for area teachers and their classrooms.
The organisers said they had selected 10 teachers randomly from a total 31 applications they received.
“The teachers who took part in the game received over a combined $5,000 [£3,785] and a minimum of $500 [£379] each. Each teacher was profiled and introduced prior to the event as we highlighted their school and what the funds would be used for,” the statement read.
The organisers said they would provide an additional $500 to the teachers who participated in the game.
The same amount would also additionally be given to the other applicants who were unable to participate.
Videos of the game that have gone viral on social media showed thousands of dollar bills spread out on a mat put under a spotlight in the middle of a hockey stadium, with participants walking towards it amid loud cheers.
Once the game began, the teachers were seen stuffing their clothes — hoodies, shirts and pants — with handfuls of cash. One of the participants was also seen stuffing his hat.
