City's schools raise more than $11K to help Haitians
Students, teachers get creative in devising ways to raise money
Wauwatosa's public and private schools have reported that, collectively, students, staff and parents have raised more than $11,000 to help victims of the Jan. 12 earthquake that devastated Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
Some of the Tosa's school communities have brainstormed creative ways to raise money for the relief effort. Others have decided to donate all or some of the proceeds from fundraisers that were already in the works. Many of the efforts are ongoing, and some are yet to come.
Students at St. Jude the Apostle School raised more than $2,000 in just two days, Assistant Administrator Mary Ferguson said.
"I'd like to say that there was something magic to it, but there wasn't," she said. "We simply talked about the need and that the people were suffering so greatly."
Students made posters with simple phrases like "Help Haiti" or "Haiti needs your help," Ferguson said. They were "very simple, very non-dramatic."
Unlike other fundraisers, teachers offered no reward or incentive to encourage the school's 469 students to donate.
"This time, we intentionally made (the reward) nothing, in hopes that they would just respond to the need, and that's exactly what they did," Ferguson said.
In addition, the school held a fish fry Friday, and Girl Scouts sold baked goods, with proceeds donated to relief efforts.
Loose change adds up
At Lincoln Elementary School, students brought in more than $3,000 for the American Red Cross during a five-day fundraising drive that had no incentives.
Principal Dean Nemoir said the school's teachers decided on the Loose Change fundraiser, which asked Lincoln's 340 kids to bring their spare coins to fill jars in each classroom.
"What shocked all of us: we ended up with $3,029.90," he said.
Of course, parents helped out, and with more than coins.
"It wasn't just change," Nemoir said. "There was a lot of cash put in there."
All the money was donated to support relief and rebuilding efforts in Haiti.
Many fundraisers offered
Similar efforts took place at many of the city's schools.
Christ King School donated a portion of the proceeds from the annual staff and student Mardi Gras celebration.
Students at Jefferson Elementary School donated nearly $3,000 to UNICEF following an eight-day Floor Wars fundraiser organized by second-grade teacher Matt Honigman.
Efforts are ongoing at St. Bernard Parish School, where students purchased $1 passes to skip wearing uniforms for a day during Catholic Schools Week. The student council has been selling heart-shaped suckers all month and will hold a bake sale.
Washington Elementary School collected just more than $1,500 during an all-school coin drive.
Kindergartners at St. Pius X School organized a fundraiser that recognized donors by putting each of their names on a heart decorated by a kindergartner and displayed in the cafeteria. They raised $250.
Whitman Middle School students who donated $1 or more got to wear their hats during the school day, raising $1,000.
Students at St. Joseph School used a Catholic Schools Week service project to raise nearly $700 for a Catholic school in Haiti.
Members of Wauwatosa East High School's Brass Quintet participated in a benefit concert Saturday at Trinity Episcopal Church, where free-will offerings were donated to Haiti.
E-mail Newsletter
Your link to the biggest stories in the suburbs delivered Thursday mornings.
Enter your e-mail address above and click "Sign Up Now!" to begin receiving your e-mail newsletter
Get the Newsletter!
More from News and Features
- Business Calendar: Feb. 16-March 28
- Grab a Bite: One Way Cafe: A Tosa Village melting pot
- Teen accused of trying to rob four people
- Business Calendar: Feb. 15-25
- St. Jude embraces history
- Innovation Park road plan reviewed
- Fight in mall parking lot leads to charges (6)
- Police Report: Feb. 8
- Striking a balance between growth and green space
- It can't be business all the time
0 COMMENTS