DECATUR — Northside Elementary School Children raised a total of $1,086.64 during the February “Have a Heart for Haiti” coin drive, according to gifted and talented teacher Andrea VanSandt.

The fundraiser, organized by the elementary school’s gifted and talented students, involved all the school children. The students competed, boys against girls, to see who could bring the most coins for earthquake victims in Haiti. The school exceeded its goal of collecting $1,000.

Every morning during the month of February, eager children put their change in buckets marked girls or boys and hung from a balancing scale. After turning in their money, the students got to sign their names on a giant banner.

At Monday’s school assembly, VanSandt announced the results - the boys won by collecting $565.80, the largest dollar amount of money, but the girls also won by collecting 139 pounds of money, the most money when measured by weight.

The coin drive was about much more than a competition between boys and girls for an ice cream party, VanSandt said.

“It’s not just about ice cream. The kids really want to help these people. I just think it’s neat for a little-bitty community to have that attitude, especially the school children ... even the pre-kindergarten kids got involved,” she said.

With 288 students in the school, each child had to bring about $4 to reach the $1,000 goal.

“Almost everyone got their name on the banner ... To see all their little names on the banner is such a neat reminder,” VandSandt said.

VanSandt helped the gifted and talented students prepare a presentation for the February assembly to inform the school children about the country of Haiti and its needs before and after the earthquake.

VanSandt said she wanted all the children to focus on the similarities between the people and Haiti and themselves yet be aware of their needs. Children in Haiti like to play many of the same games as children in Decatur, such as hide-andseek and soccer, she said.

Molly Stroud, of Prairie Grove, also visited the school and spoke to the second through fifth grades about her experience in Haiti during the earthquake. Stroud was on a mission trip when the earthquake struck and gave children an idea of the needs of the Haitian people both before and after the earthquake.

VanSandt said half of the money will be donated to the Mission to Haiti and the other half will be given to World Village. Both organizations were well established in Haiti before the earthquake and already have people on site.

World Village will use the donated money to provide hot lunches to 185 school children for 15 days, VanSandtsaid. Mission to Haiti may use the money to provide rice and beans to families. She plans to ask Mission to Haiti to designate the money to help rebuild schools so the Decatur students can better relate to the project.

“It’s just really good to know we’ll make an immediate impact on the lives of at least a few of the people, she said.

News, Pages 1 on 03/03/2010