Help for Haiti continues in Antioch

The Haitian earthquake has been off the front pages, as media attention is on the recent temblor in Chile.

It's easy to forget thousands of Haitians are still reeling from the effects of the Jan. 12 disaster.

But the event is still very much on the minds of students at Hillcrest Elementary School in Antioch.

The children just marked the end of a fundraising drive that collected nearly $6,000 for relief efforts in Haiti. The money will be donated to UNICEF.

The three-week project called, "Helping Hands for Haiti," culminated Friday.

"The students are really excited today and have been really excited about the fundraising drive," said second grade teacher Jamie Moe. "They were dumping their piggy banks, and asking friends and family to donate. They are understanding the concept of generosity."

Moe said several incentives energized the students.

"For every dollar collected, they got to tape a hand to the walls in the hallways," Moe said. "The goal was to wrap the entire school with those little hands. We did it, and then some."

A competitive component took hold too, Moe said. "We promised the class that raised the most money would be treated to a movie and popcorn. I'm sure that had something to do with it too," she smiled.

Teacher Melanie Tweedie said the fact Haiti is relatively close also piqued the students' interest.

"It was in the news so much and the topic of conversation at home, the kids were very aware of what was happening," she said.