Middle Schoolers Break 'Pennies' Fundraising Record

 students recently completed a two week community service project that involved fundraising for the Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

The seventh-grade class participated in .

During a two-week period, the students and faculty of Saucon Valley Middle School's sixth, seventh and eighth grades competed in a "Panthers Piling Pennies" competition that was coordinated by the current seventh grade class.

Each homeroom had a collection jar located in the school cafeteria. Every day the money collected in the jars was counted and point values were earned, both positive and negative, based upon the amounts and types of currency collected.

Coins in a homeroom's jar would earn the room positive points. Alternatively, paper money placed in another homeroom's jar would give the room negative points. Every day the point values and current standings where calculated and reported to the students and faculty.

The first-place homeroom from each grade level was rewarded at the end of the competition with an Olive Garden-catered luncheon--a prize that added an element of fun to the task of raising money for a truly worthy cause. 

Monies raised for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's School & Youth programs will go toward research, patient financial aid and other programs designed to help patients in their transition from active treatment back into the school environment.

On Friday, March 30, a ceremonial check for $6,555.32 was presented to a Leukemia & Lymphoma Society representative at the seventh grade luncheon provided by the Olive Garden.

This amount represented a new record for the total amount collected by Saucon Valley, and exceeded the previous highest amount donated by more than $900.

This is the seventh year that the seventh grade class has participated in the program, and this year's total brought the amount of funds raised over the period to more than $28,000.

-Information courtesy of Kim Young