District 300 schools raise nearly $34,000 for hurricane relief efforts
Within two weeks, Community Unit District 300 students, employees and families collected $33,568 to support relief efforts in hurricane-ravaged regions.
"I was blown away," Superintendent Fred Heid said. "It truly is amazing ... to come together and in just two short weeks to raise almost $34,000 to benefit people they don't even know ... what a strong statement about the compassionate and caring nature of our community."
Donations primarily will support the American Red Cross, which will receive $27,693, with the remainder going to JJ Watt Hurricane Relief, Houston Food Bank, Houston ISD Education Foundation, and Houston Animal Shelter.
District administrators put out a challenge allowing schools to tailor fundraising activities, such as a talent show, penny wars and pie toss.
Dundee-Crown High School in Carpentersville hosted a talent show raising nearly $1,120. Hampshire Elementary School students reached their fundraising goal in collecting $1,334 for which they were allowed to toss a pie in the face of teachers, Principal Nancy Regul, and Heid.
"I got seven pies in the face at Hampshire," said Heid, adding he got slapped with two more pies at Sleepy Hollow Elementary.
District middle schools, and some elementary schools, participated in penny wars with canisters set up in the common areas of each school to collect change. Students at Liberty Elementary School in Carpentersville collected the most change with $4,800.
"I put 800 pounds of coins in the back of my truck just from Liberty," Heid said. "It was crazy. My truck over two days carried 115,000 coins from Liberty."
Altogether, district officials hauled 304,275 coins to Algonquin Bank & Trust, which donated the change machines for counting.
"They are not even our bank," Heid said. "If we had converted that change at a Coinstar machine it would have cost us 12 percent to convert the coins ... they saved us over $4,000 by donating that machine."
Perry and Meadowdale elementary schools, both in Carpentersville, where a majority of students come from low-income families collected nearly $560 and $850, respectively.
"People who have a need themselves ... they tell a story about how we engage our students and teach them lessons about compassion and how you recognize the needs of others and put those above your own," Heid said.