Franklin Ave Student Council Raises Over $500 for Leukemia Research

Franklin Avenue Elementary School students were impressed when they saw how much money they raised to help leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease, and myeloma research. Although the final amount is not counted yet, the total will be well over $500.

"It's all for such a great cause," explained Tom Price, supervisor of the Franklin Ave Student Council with Glyn Nixon. "It teaches kids to help the community and each other and gives them a sense of responsibility."

Pennies for Patients was founded in 1994 by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, which is the world's largest voluntary health agency dedicated to blood cancer. Their mission is to "cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families."

The program has raised millions of dollars via elementary, middle, and high school donations since then, and gives a pizza party to winning classes across the nation and computers and sports equipment to the top schools.

The student council is designed to teach the children how to work as a community towards a bigger goal. The teachers focus on character traits such as perserverence and working to help others. Each year they participate in some sort of charity event.

Every member gets involved. Many students made posters advertising the fundraiser and some volunteered to help by walking around the Muddy Creek Fair collecting pocket change. As most of the donations were pennies and dimes, the students were amazed to see how much money it amounted to.

"They really saw the impact of how much a little bit of change could add," said Price. "With everyone helping just a little, amazing things can happen."

The school was so enthusiastic about the cause that students were still collecting money after the week long event was through and asking if they could still donate. Each student was given a small piggy bank box, which added to their excitement, as each of the boxes filled up.

The students were also taught about the diseases that Pennies for Patients aides. Classes were shown "Why, Charlie, Why," a Peanuts movie about a little girl who gets cancer. This allows the students to understand the disease at an age appropriate level.

Students have a sense of helping other children and feel like they are making a difference in the lives of others.

Once all the money is accounted for, it will be deposited into the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society account at TD Bank and the children will be thanked and congratulated on a job well done.