Buffalo Ridge undertakes community projects throughout the holidays
The Buffalo Ridge Elementary School Dream Team pose with their harvest bags of pennies. The school’s goal is to raise 750 pounds of coins by the end of November.
Article and phots by Carin R. Kirkegaard
This holiday season Buffalo Ridge Elementary (BRE) School has stepped up to the plate and taken on some commendable causes.
During the month of November, the school’s student council, the Dream Team, kicked off two philanthropic projects that took the participation of the entire school with the winning classrooms receiving a popcorn party.
New to the school this year was the Penny Harvest. The program is designed to empower and engage students to raise money and help solve problems that they see happening in their own neighborhoods.
The Penny Harvest takes place over the course of the school year. During the fall, the students harvest the pennies. Each classroom at BRE had a burlap sack where coins, dollars and checks were harvested during the month of November. The ultimate goal was for the entire school to collect 750 pounds and at press time, BRE was well on the way to meeting the goal.
During the winter months the Dream Team will be researching places where their harvest can be best used in the Castle Rock community. Once the Dream Team has narrowed down the options for the charitable donation, BRE will then vote by classroom where the money should be used.
Next spring, the Dream Team will have the opportunity to see the impact of the harvest and work together through hands-on neighborhood service projects.
Why pennies? According to the literature from the Young Philanthropists Foundation, “Pennies are special because everyone can contribute at least one. That’s why we believe that pennies – found in startling quantities in the homes of both the rich and poor – are the philanthropic property of children.”
In addition to the Penny Harvest, the Dream Team spearheaded the school’s annual food-drive for the Salvation Army. Last year, the school delivered well over 100 boxes of canned goods. This year the Dream Team’s goal was to fill 250 boxes. At press time the school had filled 22 boxes with two weeks left to meet their goal.
During the month of December, BRE will be adopting families for Christmas and working with the Women’s Crisis and Family Outreach Center.
