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24,000 students, 48 Valley schools in Koins for Kids
BOARDMAN
Handel’s Koins for Kids campaign has kids raising money for kids by helping Akron Children’s Hospital Mahoning Valley.
The second annual event, which began Tuesday and ends Friday, involves 24,000 students from 48 schools in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties who are raising money for Akron Children’s by using paper snowman ornaments provided by Handel’s.
“All I’m trying to do is show that we are thankful Akron Children’s is here and to teach kids about giving,” said James J. Brown, Handel’s chief operating officer.
The schools each develop their own plan for using the snowman ornaments to raise money, he said.
For example, some sell the snowman ornament to students for a donation. The purchaser signs them for display in their school and then can take them home to place on the family Christmas tree, he said.
Koins for Kids raised $17,000 in 10 days in 2009 with 12,000 students from 25 local schools involved. This year, the number of schools involved nearly has doubled, said Brown.
To aid in the fund-raising event, Handel’s launched a new flavor of ice cream named White Christmas in conjunction with the Koins for Kids.
Brown said Handel’s has provided coupons to students in participating schools, and for every quart of White Christmas ice cream sold to the bearer of a coupon, Handel’s will donate $1 toward their school’s fund-raising project.
White Christmas is a light-peppermint-flavored ice cream with chocolate inclusions in the shapes of green Christmas trees and red Christmas stockings and sugar cookies.
“We call it Christmas in a cup,” Brown said.
The school raising the most funds in each county, based on a percentage raised versus school enrollment, will receive an ice- cream social plus a DJ for a school dance, he said.
Last year, the winning schools were Saints Mary and Joseph School in Newton Falls in Trumbull County; Kirkmere Elementary School in Youngstown in Mahoning County, and Leetonia Elementary School in Columbiana County.
“It is our intent to help educate area children on the importance of helping those who are less fortunate, especially when those who are affected are their peers,” Brown said.
“We are fortunate to have Akron Children’s Hospital Mahoning Valley here in our community to serve our area families, and the number of children who have already received services is staggering,” he said.
One hundred percent of the funds raised during Koins for Kids will stay in the Mahoning Valley to benefit local children and families, said JoAnn Stock, Akron Children’s director of development.
“We are so grateful for the support of Handel’s for spearheading Koins for Kids, and we are thankful for the support of the schools and all of the children who participate in the campaign,” she said.
Handel’s also has initiated a Boot Drive with area firefighters to benefit the hospital. Brown said $1,800 was raised in about three hours in Cornersburg and that there will be more Boot Drives during the campaign.
In addition to Handel’s, other local sponsors of Koins for Kids are Farmers National Bank, WBBG-FM, 570 WKBN, WKBN - TV 27 and Fox Youngstown.
Additional information is available by contacting Handel’s Corporate Office at 330-702-8270. or visiting www.akronchildrens.org/mv.