AUBURN - In a fierce Oreo-stacking competition that pitted brother against sister, Mitchell Hulik, 5, pulled away with the victory by making his stack about 20 cookies high. His younger sister, Kacie, could only manage about six cookies, but then she had to reach from her stroller.

Some might complain about the unfair advantage, but the Hulik siblings couldn't care less. They moved right on to making root beer floats and playing a more age-appropriate pumpkin-themed three-card monty.

All of these games were part of a program Saturday morning created by a new partnership between the Cato-Meridian Elementary School and BJ's Wholesale Club on Grant Avenue in Auburn.

“Even though we're 22 miles away, it makes me feel good to realize there are community businesses that feel and prioritize kids as our No. 1 responsibility,” said Ann Marie Dillon, the school's principal. “We're thrilled, we're really lucky. One of our goals is to have career-to-work activities.”

The new partnership comes as part of an annual fund-raising drive by BJ's to adopt a school for a year and help out to not only raise money, but also donate various gifts for different events. The theme for the partnership is literacy, as BJ's will assist the school with their various literacy programs throughout the year, including a winter carnival.

In September, the Elementary School Improvement Team held an open house to introduce BJ's to the Cato community. They sold new memberships - including two that were raffled off. Saturday, BJ's hosted the kick-off party, featuring various games and candy donated by vendors, with teachers and older students volunteering.

“I love working with the schools and the kids. When I got this job, I loved it,” said Kelly Holmes, 27, BJ's marketing supervisor, who is in charge of the adopt-a-school program. “I wanted a small school, we try not to do the same school. It's part of our community events.”

BJ's has been adopting local schools since it opened in Grant Avenue about a decade ago, the last school being Auburn's Genesee Elementary two years ago. Cato Elementary School was originally chosen last year, but budget constraints prevented the partnership.

The schools are chosen based on two primary criteria. The school actually needs assistance to possibly build a playground or encourage literacy, and the school needs to want the partnership itself, not just the free donations.

BJ's wanted the partnership to help a general career-based theme for the entire district. Elementary school children, through BJ's, will be taught career awareness.

“A lot of schools think we want something from them, but we want nothing,” said Holmes, a former teacher aide. “It's just a lot of fun.”