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School Raises $3,000 for Pennies for Patients
March
13, 2007
With a
little creativity and help from local businesses
and organizations, students at Sandy Creek High
raised $3,000 for Pennies for Patients, nearly
sextupling the amount raised over the last two
years.
Pennies for Patients is a fundraiser for
the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society that helps
children with blood cancers find resources and
treatment, as well as provides research
opportunities for a cure. The schools’ previous
fundraiser efforts have netted a little less
than $500.
Determined to raise this year’s amount,
the school’s CARE (Children at Risk in
Education) Team and the Patriot Ambassadors got
involved and came up with a plan that generated
more money than their set goal of $1,000. CARE
Team member Jennifer Barber, a paraprofessional
at Sandy Creek, coordinated the fundraiser
effort.
"I thought we might get a thousand but
everyone had a focused effort to outdo what we'd
done before," says Barber.
Prizes collected from local businesses
and organizations were used in a drawing where
for each 50-cent donation, a student received a
ticket number. At the end of two-week
fundraiser, numbers were drawn to determine
winners for prizes that included MP3 players and
gift certificates for food and shopping. Student
Elena Dukes, a leukemia survivor and fundraiser
volunteer, had the honor of drawing the winning
tickets.
"Elena is a bright star at Sandy Creek,"
says counselor Tere Goodwin. "She bubbles over
with enthusiasm for any worthwhile project and
is eager to help others any way she can."
Olive Garden restaurant and Papa John's Pizza
are providing lunch for the top three classes
that received the most tickets for donated
money. Winning classrooms include those of
Stefanie Moore, special education, Beth Sims,
math and Edna Jimenez, foreign language.
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