Young students make big contribution

You can't miss the six candy-colored columns as you walk into the lobby of Prairie Hill School in Cary.

Each holds one of the words that guide this student body: Trustworthiness. Respect. Responsibility. Fairness. Caring. Citizenship.

You won't have to go far to see that the students take the attributes highlighted by those "Pillars of Character" seriously.

Qualities such as responsibility, caring and citizenship can certainly be accredited to the student council members who worked together to raise $5,000 for the Foundation for Children with Cancer.

"What was so amazing was how much we accomplished in such a short amount of time. We were hoping to raise maybe $1,500 so we were blown away by the grand total," said Jordan Anderson, teacher and student council adviser.

Students set up tables near the two main entrances for 20 minutes each morning, Feb. 25-29. Volunteers wore a variety of hats for the "Hats On Week," named to bring recognition to hair loss caused by chemotherapy treatments.

Parents and students alike were encouraged to donate money. Students were shown that they can help in small ways. Instead of spending money on ice cream, they could give it to charity, teachers advised.

Their results were impressive, said Renee Kirkiewicz, president and CEO of the children's cancer foundation.

"We were really excited to receive such a large amount from Prairie Hill, which, by far, was the highest donation this year," Kirkiewicz said.

The average donation of the 1,000 participating schools was between $300 and $400, she said.

As a token of gratitude, board members decided to sponsor 20 students to attend a special event for the cause on Sunday at the House of Blues in Chicago.

Prairie Hill was especially willing to be a part of this fundraiser. Teacher Kate Hatfield has a son who was diagnosed with acute lymphatic leukemia three years ago.

The teaching staff created a Powerpoint presentation shown to the entire school about the daily struggles for pediatric cancer patients and their families.

"It made us want to help out others who are less fortunate," said fifth-grader Colleen Fletcher.

Students liked that they were helping out children their own age. For some, it's also hit close to home.

"I had a relative who died from cancer, and I don't want that to happen to anyone else," said Elizabeth Beatty, fifth grade. Sixth-grader Matthew Duncan lost a close friend to cancer as well.

Though the teachers brought the cause to the surface, it was the students' responsibility to ensure the fundraiser was a success. No information was sent home to parents; students had to spread the word on their own.

"It was hard because you can't force people to give money," remarked fifth-grader Sammy Dellaria. "But it was fun because we brought in a lot!"

The student council, which consists of two members from every fifth and sixth grade class, takes on one major charity project a year.

"Every year we focus on a different cause," Anderson said. "Last year our fundraiser was for AIDS. The school and surrounding community are so willing to give support and encouragement, it's a great environment to take on these challenges."

This school group is not alone in their willingness to help others.

Hanging in the main lobby of the school, near those pillars, is a mural with a sign that reads, "Community service rocks!" Countless poster boards illustrate student efforts to give. Organizations such as Toys for Tots, 100 Books for 100 Kids, and the Breast Cancer Run/Walk were only a few of the many.

"Doing work like this shows other people how important the cause is," said fifth-grader Alex Salinas as many of his fellow students nodded in agreement.

"It makes me want to help out even more."