Students at Rancho San Justo Middle School learned in March that
saving a few pennies can save lives.
Students at Rancho San Justo Middle School learned in March that saving a few pennies can save lives.
For two weeks, students and faculty participated in the Pennies for Patients program and raised $3,435.06, mostly in pennies and small change, for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
Breanna Knottenbelt, 13, said that beside collecting coins from random people, she and her family donated money because of something very close to their hearts.
“My grandpa had cancer, so my mom and I thought it would be nice to donate in his memory,” she said. “It felt good donating to this cause.”
All donations were accepted, but Activities Director Erica Robledo-Dickens said the students must have gathered more than 100,000 pennies.
“This year’s leading school raised $4,500 so to know we were that close with them really motivates us to collect even more for next year,” Robledo-Dickens said.
Not only was the project for a good cause, but it taught the students compassion and the value of a penny, Robledo-Dickens said.
“The society sends out packets to the teachers with biographies from children with leukemia, which makes it personal and lets them know who they’re helping,” she said. “There is also education material with lessons about the value of a penny, and how much money can be raised if everyone gave just one penny.”
Assistant Principal Karen Twaddell is very proud of how hard her school worked on this project.
“These students did a great job, and it’s wonderful to see them doing community service,” she said.
Although leukemia is a great cause, Robledo-Dickens said it’s the competition aspect that makes Rancho San Justo so successful at fund-raising.
“We have some pretty competitive teachers here when it comes to fund-raising and they set the tone,” she said. “There were even a few who tried to pull ahead right at the end and steal the victory.”
Samantha Ashworth was the top student collector, raising $84.94, and there were first place awards given for the top collecting homeroom classes of each grade level.
Pennies for Patients is just one of the three community service fund-raisers Rancho San Justo holds each year. In October it puts on a canned food drive and in December the students participate in Toys for Tots.
Having the students participate in these projects helps them develop into well-rounded individuals, Robledo-Dickens said.
“It really helps them focus on the community rather than themselves, which isn’t the easiest thing for junior high students,” she said.
Since 1994, more than 10 million schools throughout the country have become involved in Pennies for Patients.
For more information or to get involved, visit www.leukemia-lymphoma.org.
