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A few months ago, Westbrook Elementary School Principal John Ewald challenged his student to read at home every night. To sweeten the deal he agreed to a sugary solution: He would turn himself into a human ice cream sundae.

The students kept up their end of the deal, so Thursday Ewald had to keep up his.

Third-, fourth- and fifth-grade students crammed into the Bethesda school's all-purpose room Thursday, and proceeded to douse their principal in whipped cream, sprinkles and chocolate sauce.

"It's really awesome," said third-grader Henry Bellew, 8, licking chocolate sauce from his fingers. "Everyone gets to do it. It's really cool."

The event was done in connection with Giant supermarkets' A+ School Rewards Program, which donates money to area schools. Every year, Giant sponsors the Principal's Challenge event, which dares principals to do something audacious, said Giant spokesman Jamie Miller. Ewald submitted the ice cream event and was selected as one of three winners in Maryland.

The school will receive $1,000 from Giant, Ewald said.

"The students feel that I'm a principal who would do anything for them," he said. "And it's very easy to do these kinds of things because we're all just one big family."

In the school's multi-purpose room, Ewald sat on a bucket in a baby pool, swim goggles covering his eyes, waiting for his fate. Each student lined up, and proceeded to cover Ewald in his saccharin shower. By the end of the event, 150 students had filtered through, each relishing the moment they were allowed to pelt their principal with sprinkles, whipped cream or chocolate sauce.

"It was really fun because we got to cover him with everything," said third-grader David Lieberman, 9. "So now we know what a human ice cream sundae would look like."

Ewald said the school usually receives $3,000 to $4,000 a year from the A+ program. Giant chose the schools based on the creativity of their ideas, and the ideas' appeal to a broad audience, Miller said.

In addition to his human sundae shtick, Ewald also got a manicure and pedicure in Westbrook's blue and yellow school colors. The manicure and pedicure were a reward for the kindergartners, first- and second-graders for reading 10 minutes each night. Students in third, fourth and fifth grades were asked to read 20 minutes.

"I think the kids had a blast," said Ewald, covered head to toe in toppings. "It was definitely worth it."