Schools

Forest Edge Kids Raise $500 for Sandy Aid

PTA organizes coin drive to raise money for American Red Cross.

Students at Forest Edge Elementary School gathered their spare change to help victims of Hurricane Sandy - and were able to raise $500.

The Forest Edge PTA in November sponsored a two-week Coins from Kids program, in which PTA parents stood in the hallway of the school with a plastic bucket seeking donations of coins from the children to be sent to the American Red Cross to help victims of the devastating storm that hit hardest in New York and New Jersey in October.

The PTA advertised the event on its Monday Mail e-newsletter, sent home flyers to all homes in the Tuesday folders, and made announcements on the school's morning announcements, PTA president David Safford said.

Find out what's happening in Restonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"We simply asked for any spare change children might have had lying around the house, perhaps digging under the couch cushions," he said. "The result was overwhelming! The plastic bucket filled up so quickly with coins we had to take multiple loads to a local coin counter, which jammed more than once with so many bucket loads of coins."

In the end, the children raised $476, with a generous teacher kicking in $24 to make an even $500 that will be sent to the Red Cross, Safford said.

Find out what's happening in Restonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here