Lapeer students and staff have opened their hearts, imaginations and wallets in finding creative ways to raise money to help with relief efforts in Haiti since the devastating earthquake on January 12.Lapeer West Student Council voted to send $1,000 to the American Red Cross and West senior Wei Li Crawford (see photo at left) worked with Assistant Principal/Athletic Director Mary Haslinger to organize Haitian relief collections during basketball games at the school Friday, January 22, and again on February 12.
Wei Li has collected gift cards and donations from local businesses and put posters up around school. Nearly $200 was raised at the January 22 basketball game.
“It warms my heart,” said Hollie Marcola, staff advisor to West’s Student Council. “There are a lot of good people in this world.”
The sixth-grade class of Ms. Maja Burris and Ms. Shellie Forgione’s third-grade class at Mayfield Elementary School recently began a study of earthquakes and have started a collection of change to donate to the American Red Cross. The students have formed a committee called “Hearts for Haiti”.
Paper hearts will be sold for a $1 and hung in the hallway with the donor’s name. The goal is to raise $500 to donate to the “Save the Children Haiti Emergency Fund.”
Schickler Elementary School has set up a collection jug in the hall for the next month to collect for relief. Students at Schickler are also having a race to Haiti with teachers’ names on a long sheet of paper. Each time a student donates a quarter it will put their teacher’s name on a on sticker closer to Haiti. The winning teacher and class win a prize.
The Student Council at Zemmer Junior High School at Rolland-Warner had a “Hat Day for Haiti” on Friday, January 22 and raised $272.10. Hats are not usually allowed in school, but for a $1 donation students were allowed to have a hat for the day.
Lapeer East students sold bracelets for $2 starting on Wednesday, January 20 and continue through February 5 with all the money going to Healing Hands International to help with Haiti relief. So far more than $450 has been raised.
In addition to the bracelets, Katherine Baeckeroot and Rebecca Wright are organizing a Haiti Relief Concert from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Lapeer East Auditorium on Friday, February 5.
Lynch Elementary School staff and students have already raised more than $100 collecting pennies and loose change. During the week of January 25-29 students can donate 25-cents for the privilege of wearing a hat in school.
Students on the Murphy Elementary School Student Council are having a bake sale on Wednesday, January 27, to raise money for Haiti.
Ms. Elizabeth Gorkowski, a Turrill Elementary School teacher and her third grade class organized a “Hats Off for Haiti” fund raiser. Every Friday in February students will be able to wear a hat at school for 50-cents each week. A bake sale to help the Haitians is scheduled for Wednesday, February 24.
