Turner students collect over 70,000 coins to benefit Haiti relief

05/06/10

(Pictured above: Turner Student Council members.)

Turner Elementary School is proud of the industriousness and compassion shown by its Student Council, who organized a penny drive to benefit recovery efforts in Haiti. The fundraiser, called "Penny Wars," ran for one week in April and involved students competing by classroom to collect the most coins. At the end of the week, students had collected over 70,000 coins and they presented a check worth $784.03 to UNICEF.

The idea to engage in Penny Wars came from Turner student-teacher Makia Akinola, a recent graduate of the University of Pittsburgh. Upon noting that her college roommate was Haitian, Ms. Akinola suggested that Turner's fundraising efforts benefit Haiti relief. Turner students immediately embraced the suggestion.

During Penny Wars, students sacrificed their lunch periods and special periods to hand roll the tens of thousands of coins they accumulated on a daily basis.

"It was truly a school-wide effort," said Ms. Akinola. "It was great to see teachers get involved too. We all felt like we were in this together."

Although the fundraiser was called Penny Wars, students could collect all kinds of coins--and even dollars.

"Students responded well because it was a competition," said Ms. Akinola. "Teams had to be strategic, so they would bring in quarters and dollars to pull away from other teams."

At the end of Penny Wars, Miss Merlina's fourth-grade class raised the most money, and was rewarded with a pizza party. But there was a sense of triumph for all students who participated.

"My main goal in helping to organize Penny Wars was to give students a sense of pride in their school," said Ms. Akinola. "This accomplishment shows that not only have they taken pride in their school, but also in themselves and their own abilities."

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