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PENNIES FOR PATIENTS
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Students at Adkison Elementary School will hopefully learn something about helping others as they hunt for loose change for the next two weeks. That's the hope of Student Council adviser Sara Ray who is helped students kick off the Pennies for Patients fundraising drive on Monday.

"This is an amazing cause and we have been doing it every year for four years now since the opening of our school," said Ray.

Monday's spirit assembly was the first time, however, that the fundraiser was kicked off in such a schoolwide manner..

The assembly featured a video about how students can help.

Money collected until May 14 will be sent to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Members of the Student Council who are spearheading the collection of pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters and dollars are sergeant-at-arms Cody Raleigh, secretary Adrien Castellanos, treasurer Katrina Rodriguez, social coordinator Chantal Karreno, vice president Alfredo Lopez, and president Sabrina Baisdon.

"We're asking students to go home and collect change, ask family or friends," said Ray.

Each class will have a collection box. When a student donates a dollar or more in a day, they can post a penny-shaped piece of paper on the window signed with their name like some fast-food restaurants do. Also, the class that raises the most money will get its photo displayed in the school office.

"I like to do fundraisers for those in need so they can see how to help people," said Ray. "The sixth-grade officers are really excited."

The Ceres school is joining 25,000 schools nationwide in the Pennies for Patients program. Last year Adkison students raised $700.

Since 1994, millions of dollars have been raised in pennies and other spare change by more than 10 million elementary, middle and high school students throughout the country.