By Stephanie Prokop, Staff Writer
FLORENCE—Forget the old, tired ways of raising money for school with sales of chocolate and overpriced wrapping paper.
Students and parents at the Riverfront School are instead taking strides toward tackling two tasks at once; raising funds for their Parent Teacher Organization and saving the planet by hosting a fundraiser by Growkids.org, featuring all recycled and earth-conscious products.
Some of the best sellers include 100 percent post-consumer recycled wrapping paper, Treehouse all-purpose organic cleaner, and Growtote reusable shopping bags.
“All of the products that we are selling are made with recycled things, which makes consuming these items a little easier to bear,” said Monica Olaff, a PTO representative from the school.
The fundraiser ties into a bigger part of the curriculum that students are learning about throughout the month, according to Riverfront School Principal Theresa Elias.
The fundraiser is set to begin tonight, Thursday, during the Back to School program, which orients teachers and staff with parents and guardians in their respective students’ classrooms.
Ms. Olaff said the goal this year will be to raise around $3,500. The organization sponsoring the fundraiser, Growkids, is giving 50 percent of the school’s purchases back to the PTO.
“We’re pretty much using the program twofold, it’s all about what we can do to help the earth, and we’re also raising these funds for other assemblies and important programs that students will be receiving at the school,” she said.
Ms. Olaff said after doing some preliminary research for something other than the traditional candy and paper fundraisers, she was pleasantly surprised after she came across the Growkids organization, where the slogan is “pure eco-friendly products that leave you and your community feeling good about your fundraising efforts.”
After suggesting the company at a PTO organizational meeting, Ms. Olaff said there was nothing but positive reception from parents and the school community.
She said it was the first eco-friendly fundraiser that she’s ever heard of at any school within the Florence district or neighboring towns.
“We’re kind of like the premier school to go out and try something like this, she said, “It’s just a different take on traditional fundraising,” she added.
Anyone who wishes to learn more about the site is encouraged to visit www.growkids.org.

