LEWISTON – Nine-year-old Evan Mancini had hoped to raise $1,000 in pennies to help poor children in India.

Three weeks ago, he was a long way from that goal.

Now he’ll probably beat it.

Since Evan’s story appeared in the Sun Journal earlier this month, the Holy Cross School third-grader has been inundated with donations. Some people have sent dollar bills. Others mailed letters with change taped inside or dropped off pennies at the school.

“People just kept bringing them in and bringing them in,” Evan said.

Inspired by Mother Teresa’s work with the poorest of the poor, Evan started his schoolwide penny drive when he was 7 and continues to run it more than a year later. All of the money goes to a priest in northern India, who uses it to pay for clothes, books, food and schooling for the region’s poorest children.

Last year, Even raised $360. This fall, he raised another $450. He had hoped to raise up to $1,000 by the end of the school year.

Days after Evan’s story appeared in the Sun Journal, readers wrote to wish Evan luck and donate a few dollars. Soon, donors started dropping off bags of pennies at the school.

Evan’s mother and school officials estimate he has received a couple of hundred dollars. Money continues to pour in.

Evan, his family and the school’s sixth-graders will count and roll the change after classes resume from winter break. A check will be sent to India soon after.

The region Evan has adopted was not greatly affected by this week’s massive earthquake and tsunami.