Penny carnivals to pay heat bills

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. -- In recognition of Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service on Monday, Slippery Rock University students and AmeriCorps workers will help host two carnivals in New Castle to raise money to help pay heating bills.
The "Penny Power" carnivals will be from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at Second Baptist Church, 537 Bell Ave., and the gym of Thaddeus Stevens Elementary, 831 Harrison St.
Children in grades one through four in the New Castle School District will be asked to bring pennies to participate in games and activities.
Once an activity is completed, the children will receive tickets redeemable for prizes. SRU students and AmeriCorps members will supervise all activities. Schools are closed Monday to celebrate the Martin Luther King Jr. national holiday.
The pennies collected will be used to help individuals who are having difficulty paying their bills this winter, said Nina Persi of the I CARE House, a community center in New Castle and one of the sponsors of the penny carnivals. Other sponsors include SRU's Office of Multi-Cultural Affairs, the New Castle NAACP, the New Castle School District, AmeriCorps and PennSERVE.
The goal, said Persi, is to engage children in a service project so that their day off from school can become a time that will help enrich their community, and second, to have children learn a little more about King's life and legacy.
Call the I CARE House at (724) 658-8873 for more information.