SEPTEMBER 11TH COMMUNITY FUND
By: Nick D’Amore
Students in grades five through eight have raised more than $10,000 for families in need after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Two weeks ago, Crossroads School students began the Penny Challenge, a clever way to promote healthy competition among the students while raising funds for a good cause. The drive raised more than $6,000.
Upper Elementary School students held a two-week fund-raiser called the We Can Collection. UES students gave money to the collection whenever they did their chores or performed acts of kindness, said Principal Joanne Kerekes. In addition, some UES students used their entrepreneurial skills outside of school to raise money. In the end, UES raised $4,500 for charities dealing with the World Trade Center disaster.
All of the Crossroads money and $3,500 of the UES money will go to the September 11th Community Fund, a tax-deductible local fund designed to raise money for South Brunswick families who lost immediate family members in the World Trade Center attacks. The remaining UES money will go to the Red Cross.
The Penny Challenge at Crossroads had every unit in the school drop pennies into its respective team jar. Pennies earned positive points for the team, but silver coins and dollar bills were counted as negative points.
To win, teams were shoveling a myriad of pennies into their own jars and big bills into those of their opponents.
Consequently, the team that amassed the most money actually "lost" the schoolwide competition, but finished first in terms of the game’s fund-raising goal.
Crossroads Principal James Warfel told students at a Friday assembly that they had raised a total $6,745.21, including more than a quarter-million pennies.
"Crossroads, you are outstanding," he said.
At UES, Ms. Kerekes said two boys who set up a lemonade stand on their own, gave $20 of their profits to the school. A group of girls who made and sold bookmarks donated their $124 profit to the school as well.
The school-sponsored projects were also successful, Ms. Kerekes said.
The "Snack-rifice" event asked kids to sacrifice their morning snacks and donate them to the relief workers in New York City. Ms. Kerekes said about 2,000 snacks were collected. The We Can Collection generated over $4,500 during a two-week fund-raising drive in which students filled coffee cans with change whenever they did good deeds.
"We got a lot of pennies. Some kids brought in their allowance and piggy banks," said Ms. Kerekes.
UES staff was also generous; two secretaries sold handmade ribbons and stars and donated the $160 they raised to the school’s fund.
Ms. Kerekes said the UES events enabled students to do their part in contributing to local and national efforts.
"We found two things they could do and the events were just perfect," she said.
At Crossroads on Friday, students were asked at an assembly which charity they thought should receive the proceeds of the Penny Challenge. Dr. Warfel gave the student body a choice: Plan A, which would give the money to The September 11 Fund, which directly aids South Brunswick victims’ families, or Plan B, which would give half the money to the school and half to a charity.
Plan A was met with booming cheers, while Plan B was met with equally thunderous boos.
In his remarks, Dr. Warfel emphasized the true spirit in which the competition was held. "We had a little fun doing a really good thing. We cannot forget why we did this," he said.
The short assembly closed with the Crossroads Vocal Ensemble singing "America, the Beautiful," followed by an enthusiastic chant of "U-S-A" from the students.