Roosevelt students bring about lots of change

Staff report

hubbard

Roosevelt Elementary proved again that there is power in pennies.

The students of Roosevelt Elementary School set out on a three-week journey during February to raise money to help find cures for blood cancers.

They joined forces with millions of other students across the country in the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s School and Youth Program, which share the common goal of finding a cure.

During this year ¥s Olive Garden Pasta for Pennies Program, which directly benefits the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the children of Roosevelt set out with a school goal of $5,000.

They not only met their challenge but exceeded it by raising more than $7,266. More than $5,500 in change was brought in, most of which was pennies.

There was healthy competition created throughout the school by offering incentives for the class collecting the most pennies, the classes collecting the highest totals in each grade and for the class who collected the most money overall, to name a few.

The classroom raising the most money was to be the lucky recipient of a Pasta Party Luncheon sponsored by the Olive Garden.

To make things more interesting, the school’s principal and vice principal challenged the students to meet their goal. If they achieved it, an extra surprise was to be shared with the entire student body.

In conjunction with their character-building education and as an example of caring, citizenship, respect and sharing, the students of one kindergarten class demonstrated these traits when they honored the school board and some of the school’s administration and staff with the Olive Garden lunch last month.

The children were also rewarded with a lunch with local honorees and a celebration of their achievement.