Helena Independent Record (MT)
Friday, February 8, 2008
Pennies for change
By Alana Listoe
Eliza Wiley IR Photo Editor - Logan McMillan, 10, a
third-grader at Rossiter Elementary dumps one
collection of pennies into a collection jar in the arms of Lindsay Vandaele, the student representative.
When Betsy Baur heard philanthropist Greg Mortenson speak in
September at
The community-wide campaign to collect 10 million pennies —
$100,000 — will run through February.
Half of the money will go toward a new Head Start building
in the
“I was incredibly inspired when I heard him speak,” Baur
said of Mortenson. “It was something concrete and positive I could do in the
world. It really made sense.”
The morning after hearing Mortenson speak, Baur called an
acquaintance who works at Mountain West Bank.
She thought she’d have a penny drive at her daughter’s
preschool to contribute to the cause.
What started as an idea about a penny drive for a couple of
dozen preschoolers turned into a community-wide effort across the
Baur barely completed a proposal to gain bank officials’
support before they were offering to supply banks for every student in the
district.
Students bring in $1 and they are allowed to wear a hat for
the day, something that is generally against the rules.
Students across
The Head Start class at Rossiter
Elementary got a helping hand from third-graders in Siobhan Hathhorn’s
class.
Lindsay VanDaele is in Hathhorn’s class and also serves as the school’s
representative for Pennies for Progress.
VanDaele was last year’s class
president and is eager to be involved and lead her fellow students.
“I thought I could do something else this year,” she said
adding that helping students in
“It’s important because the Head Start kids need a building
and a bigger playground,” she said.
It’s VanDaele’s job to collect the
pennies from each class and deliver them to the office.
“One cent isn’t much, but lots of pennies probably are,” she
said.
Half of the money is earmarked as seed money for a new
community center for the Rocky Mountain Development Council Head Start program
at Rossiter.
Head Start classrooms are currently held inside of Rossiter, but the population in the valley continues to grow.
Therefore, a proactive approach was ignited to put effort into building a
common space on the property that would house two head start classrooms.
“I worry every year that I’m going to get moved out of Rossiter and I’ll have to wonder where I’ll go,” said Patty
Dahl, Head Start director. “No one likes to have to worry about their housing,
even the Head Start Program.”
The Rossiter site is one of eight
in
“The concept of having a hub for the Valley is a wonderful
thought,” Dahl said. “All the players sitting around the table have that
excitement.”
She said she realizes that $50,000 just scratches the
surface, but it would provide a base for other fundraising.
The other $50,000, if the program’s goal is reached, would
pay for a new school building in
Employees from the Central Asia Institute also will assist
in the development of compatible businesses such as a dairy farm.
Baur said she was happy to help with an overseas project
that works to fight poverty through education, but felt strongly about helping
out with local needs too.
“I feel like we spend so much money with the military
instead of using it to address poverty, education, health and economic development
internationally,” she said.
Baur has talked with enough community members, friends and
colleagues to get $70,000, leaving just $30,000 to collect from the schools and
the community.
The elementary school that raises the most money will earn a
ride on a fire truck during a campaign wrap-up and march
downtown.
http://www.helenair.com/articles/2008/02/08/top/top/50lo_080208_pennies.txt
Reporter Alana Listoe: 406
447-4081 or alana.listoe@helenair.com
(c) 2008 Helena Independent Record. All Rights Reserved. Used With Permission.