A friendly competition amongst students is fuelling Pleasant Valley Elementary School’s 2013 Coins for Kids drive.
At the beginning of the school year, students from Grades 1 to 7 are divided up into one of four clans – bear, eagle, whale and wolf. The clans remain together for the year and team up for a number of fundraising initiatives, including one to bring in the most coins for the annual News Bulletin fundraiser.
But while it is a friendly contest benefitting the less fortunate, school principal Kathy Bergman said students still want to win.
“They like to have their clan do well ... This is the part where we say which clan will bring in the most coins and we reminded them [which clan won last year] and try to work on it that way,” said Bergman.
On top of adding flavour to the fundraising, the competition aids in development of students and is fitting given the time of year. The school theme for December is generosity, Bergman said.
“I think it’s really important for us as a school and individuals to remind ourselves that at all times of the year we can help people out and that small bits all add up to make a lot of money for people or a lot of help. That’s our focus. In our month of generosity, we’ve had a lot of students bringing in things for Hamperville and other things and like I said, the Coins for Kids we do talk about as another way we can help other children,” she said.
Pleasant Valley Elementary School has been taking part in the News Bulletin’s coin collection campaign for four years.
The Coins for Kids campaign ends today (Dec. 19) and started in 1996 as Pennies for Presents, taking in people’s change and raising more than $160,000 in the Nanaimo area to help buy gifts for children and food for their families.
Totals are still being tallied but organizers were hoping to surpass last year’s total of $8,100.
Donations can still be dropped off at the News Bulletin, 777 Poplar St., or at one of the community drop off locations at In Print, John’s Bedroom Barn, Northridge Fitness, Canadian Tire, Sink or Swim Scuba, La-Z-Boy, Royal LePage at Brooks Landing, Coast Realty downtown, ICBC Driver Licensing Centre, Quality Foods at University Village, Cline Medical Centre and Bruce Senini’s dental office.
For more information, please call 250-753-3707.