Student volunteers collected money during lunch periods in December.  Each grade level’s goal was to raise more money this year than the previous year’s class. Students pitched in and emptied their pockets for local Veterans.

Students started raising money on Dec. 3 through the 5.

“The objective was to beat their last years total of money,” Stephanie McAleer said, ninth grade committee advisor and ninth grade biology teacher.

Each grade level had to raise a different amount of money, some higher and lower than others. Seventh grade had to raise a total of $140, eighth grade had to raise a total of $300 and ninth grade had to raise a total of $365. They money was being raised for the veterans home in Hollidaysburg for the holiday season. The ninth grade committee went around during the grade level lunch times and collected donations.

“The types of things we do in the committee are collect money, fund raise for the school and help with the school spirit days,” Haley Patterson said, a ninth grader on the committee.

The first grade to reach their goal was seventh grade.

“The seventh graders reached fast,” McAleer said. “It was within the first three days of fundraising.”

The eighth and ninth graders eventually reached their goal and the whole school raised enough money for the veterans home and for a movie. It took longer than expected to raise enough money to reach the goals for eighth and ninth grade. Ninth grade did not raise the money as fast as the others grades, due to the fact they had the highest goal to reach.

“If the money was going to the school,” Patterson said, “I think kids would have donated more.”

Many ninth grade students leave for the GACTC and could not donate during their lunch time, which took from the ninth graders. The total was reached on the last day of fundraising for each grade and each grade level will get a movie on Dec. 23, before break. A check was presented to the Veterans home on Dec. 17 by the committee.