Penny War at Brunswick Acres School raises money for Human Intervention Trust Fund.
By: Joseph Harvie
A war was fought in March at Brunswick Acres School.
But unlike real wars, no blood was shed during the school’s Penny War and the spoils went for a good cause.
The children marched through the hallways, trying to outdo one another while their teachers urged them on. They came to school each day armed not with weapons, but with pennies that they handed over to their teachers.
The pennies were collected as a way to raise money for the township run Human Intervention Fund. Money from the fund, which is overseen by the township division of Social Services, is used to help needy township residents pay bills. A family can only be helped once a year.
The Penny War was run through the school’s Student Council, said Carol Cresci, a first-grade teacher at the school who, along with first-grade teacher Kristine Fritz and fifth-grade teacher Brandi Whitaker, advises the council.
"We sent out a note to parents saying we wanted to start a penny drive," Ms. Cresci said. "And we asked the students to bring in as many pennies as they wanted. And they brought them into their homerooms and I collected the money at the end of the month."
At the end of the drive the students collected $146 for the fund, Ms. Cresci said. Ms. Cresci said that the classes did not keep tallies of which grade collected the most money.
Ms. Cresci said that she tried to make the Penny War a districtwide event, but the coordination effort fell through and the fundraiser became a one-front Penny War.
"I contacted all of the other schools in the district, trying to get it to be a joint effort with all of the schools," Ms. Cresci said. "We didn’t hear back from them so we did it ourselves."
LouAnne Wolf, township director of Social Services, said she appreciated the fundraising efforts of the Brunswick Acres students. She said that it is always nice when the schools get involved with the community.
She said that the fund is doing well and the money the children donated will go to good use.
To make a donation to the fund, send checks made out to the South Brunswick Human Intervention Trust Fund to P.O. Box 190, Monmouth Junction, NJ 08852. Mark the envelope to the attention of LouAnne Wolf or Social Services.