Small change makes a big difference for the library
Article and photos by Lisa Crockett
Pennies, dimes and nickels. They’re worth so little that most of us let them sit around the house gathering dust in an old jar or lining the underside of the couch cushions. But students in Castle Pines recently went on a mission to recover small change around their homes. By pooling their funds, they collected nearly $4,000 to benefit the Castle Pines Library. Late last month, student representatives from each school gathered with community leaders and library representatives to present their gift.
Students from the four Castle Pines Schools – American Academy, Buffalo Ridge, DCS Montessori and Timber Trail – collected change during individual “Spare Change Drives” in late April and early May. Treats for the most change collected in each grade level were awarded by Blue Bell Creameries. Timber Trail Elementary was the top earner in a friendly competition between the schools, collecting roughly $1,500. But the true winner was the Castle Pines Library.
“Thank you. You are amazing!” said Aspen Walker, branch manager of the Castle Pines Library, to students who gathered when the library received the check. “You are doing amazing things for our community and you’ve made all of us here at the library feel so good.”
The spare change drive was inspired by a similar effort conducted at Timber Trail Elementary last year, when the school raised funds to purchase a tree for the City of Castle Pines. Mayor Jeffrey Huff approached the event organizer, Candy Palazzo, about a similar effort involving all four Castle Pines Schools, and an idea was born.
“You guys have done an awesome job,” said Huff to the students. “I would love to see all four schools do something like this every year where you really come together to do something great for the community.”
All funds collected were donated to the library’s “Let’s Keep a Good Thing Going” campaign. For more information on the Library campaign, visit the Castle Pines Chamber of Commerce website at www.castlepineschamber.org. To check the fundraising progress, see page the bulletin board on page 27.
