Pennies don't get a lot of respect – we toss them in a jar, leave them on a store counter. But if you get enough of them together, they can make a big difference. No one knows that better than the Lester Elementary Student Council, who organized a penny harvest to raise disaster relief funds for Japan. The council encouraged students to bring in pennies and spare change, held a raffle with the winner's class receiving an ice cream party and hosted Jeans for Japan Day, allowing teachers to "purchase" the opportunity to wear jeans to work for one dollar. In total, their efforts brought in more than $1,800 for the American Red Cross Japan Disaster Relief fund.
"It was great to see the entire school really pull together and get involved in such a worthwhile cause," said Lester principal, Carin Novak. "We're so proud of our students and staff."