Blackrock Students Surpass Fundraising Goal, Teachers Make Good on Reward Promise

From March 11-28, students at Blackrock Elementary School, along with friends and family members, rounded up their loose change for a good cause.

This was the school's sixth year participating in the Pennies for Patients collection that benefits the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's efforts to find a cure and provide a better quality of life for cancer and blood disease patients and their families. Keeping with tradition, the faculty challenged students to meet a $2,500 monetary goal, and for the sixth year they succeeded, this time with a grand total of $3,992 at the end of the three-week program.

As a reward for their hard work and generosity, Blackrock students were treated to school-wide bingo games on April 30, during which Principal Alicia Castle read bingo numbers over the school's intercom system and awarded prizes to the winners. In addition, Blackrock teachers agreed to dress up in costume for the entire day as a way to thank the students for their successful fund-raising efforts.

Donna Poole's first grade class won the classroom competition with a total collection of $545, earning them a pizza party in the near future. Honorable Mentions went to Jayne Bailey's fifth grade class and Ray Raboin's fourth grade students.

"Thanks to everyone for their support of Pennies for Patients," said Castle in an email to parents following the collection tally. "This money will go a long, long way towards helping children with blood cancers!"

UPDATE: On May 9, Principal Alicia Castle was notified by Pennies for Patients that Blackrock collected the 7th highest fundraising total of all Rhode Island Schools that participated!