Hannah Hartnett holds Hebron Station School’s pennies for Haitian relief can as third-grader Spencer Strong contributes to it. Each classroom has a can for fundraising efforts.

HEBRON — A fifth-grade student at Hebron Station School wants to make sure the school reaches its $500 fundraising goal to help Haitian relief efforts.

“The more money we have the better,” said Hannah Hartnett, president of the Student Council that was formed last fall.

The entire Oxford Hills School District is involved in raising money for those affected by the 7.0 magnitude quake that struck Jan. 12, killing more than 150,000 people. It destroyed Port-au-Prince, the capital city of what is considered the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.

“A number of students came to us asking if we could do something district-wide,” Superintendent Mark Eastman told the Board of Directors this week.

Cans have been placed in schools in the “Pocket Change for Haiti” campaign. Other activities are being conducted to help raise money.

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At the Hebron Station School, Hartnett approached her adviser, Cory Munsey, a fourth-grade teacher, about the efforts to reach the school’s goal of $500.

Hartnett said that if the school’s goal isn’t reached, she and the council are hoping to extend the fundraising through a number of ideas she is developing, including a food sale and selling homemade bookmarks.

“She came up with a whole list of ideas for me to see for what we could do,” Munsey said.

Those included a Hat Day and an after-school movie, Munsey said.

Some students, including Hartnett, are studying the Haitian culture. One of the things Hartnett said she learned is that February is when Haitians hold a large festival with dancing and singing in the streets. Students have also studied how earthquakes are measured.

The district-wide fundraising will conclude just before the winter break, which begins Saturday, Feb. 13.

ldixon@sunjournal.com


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