Stockton fifth-grader Eliot Hagerty turned a classroom assignment into a fundraising effort.
By: Linda Seida
STOCKTON A fifth-grader at Stockton Public School turned a routine class assignment into a way to ease the suffering of children a world away.
Eliot Hagerty’s assignment from her teacher, Doug Hudak, was to prepare to give what he calls a "tantalizing talk." It’s meant to encourage the students’ research and public-speaking skills, but she took it a giant step further.
The students could choose their own topics, and they also had to devise an activity their classmates could perform. Some of the students chose subjects close to them, such as sewing. Others chose topics broader in scope, including global warming and women’s rights in the Middle East.
Eliot chose to examine poverty in South Africa, and her research dished up a few surprises. She said, "I learned that a lot of people die each year because of lack of water, and many die because of starvation. But besides that, everything was a shock."
During the research phase of the assignment, Eliot became concerned about the rampant spread of AIDS, according to Mr. Hudak.
"For her activity, she asked the other students to raise $15 each," Mr. Hudak said, and they had two weeks to do it. "Thus she named it ‘pennies for poverty.’ It took off from there, and when Fred Strackhouse, the owner of the Stockton Inn heard about it, he told the class that if we cleaned out their wishing well, that we could keep the money."
The students collected about $180 from the Stockton Inn’s historic wishing well. Another $98 in donations came in the first day a collection box was passed around the lunchroom, Eliot said.
Eliot, the daughter of Stockton Borough Council President Michael Hagerty and Melissa Hamilton, raised $500. She said, "I never thought I would make that much money. I was very surprised and proud of all the people who donated."
Her "tantalizing talk" led Eliot to the Solebury School, where her sister, Olivia, is a seventh-grader. Students there had been raising funds in a variety of different ways for Heartbeat, an organization that helps African AIDS orphans. Eliot donated her money to their cause. All told, more than $5,000 will go to Heartbeat.
The number of orphans in South Africa is expected to increase from 1.5 million in 2001 to 2.3 million in 2010, according to Heartbeat, quoting a UNAIDS/UNICEF report from July 2002.
Solebury School seniors Kerry Toole and Bella Blasko, community council co-presidents, and Tiana Savage, have worked for several years to raise money for Heartbeat.
"The girls raised money by organizing several dances, car washes, two battle-of-the-bands contests, a lock-in and a couple of chili cook-offs, along with several other fundraisers," said Solebury School spokeswoman Beverly Berkeley. They graduated earlier this month, exceeding their $5,000 goal before the commencement.
"Kerry is dedicated to helping AIDS orphans and recently traveled to South Africa for 19 days to work at two halfway houses that help these children ages 4 to 18 every day, feeding them and making sure they survive," Ms. Berkeley said. "She produced a documentary and a photo book for her senior project and plans to sell the documentary to raise more money. She will return to Africa to help again for the month of July. She’s quite an extraordinary girl!"
Eliot’s efforts, too, are drawing praise.
Her teacher, Mr. Hudak, who instructs both fifth and sixth grades, said, "In all my years of teaching, I have never had a child take a cause like this to heart. Eliot is a brilliant student and an all-round wonderful person."
Her dad, Mr. Hagerty, said, "When she told me that she had raised $492, I was amazed. Ever the little lobbyist, she said, ‘Dad, if you were to give me another $8, then I would have an even $500.’
"Over the time she worked on the project I think we all learned some things about how the system works, or in the case of starving kids in Africa it doesn’t, and if one 11-year-old girl in every town of 200 people sets out to do something, we might just be able to make a difference."
When asked to describe herself and her interests, Eliot gave a sweet description that could apply to many a young girl. She has two cats, Olives and Pickles. She loves basketball and her friends, and enjoys music, fashion and reading magazines.
Her father describes her a bit differently.
"She’s always had a deeper and old soul approach in the way she interacts with the world," he said. "Several of our adult friends have told me they’ve had conversations with her that left them thinking about things they never would have on their own.
"I do my best to keep her humble by letting her know that she may be smarter than I am, but I’m older and have already made the mistakes she thinks she won’t."

