Pasta for Pennies

I am so proud of my high school! When I was a senior my best friend was the president of the service organization, Key Club, and I went along to the weekly meetings too. (There were also several cute boys in the club as well.) We also both spent our study hall in the Key Club advisor's classroom where for several weeks during the fund raising campaign for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society I counted out and rolled $7,000 worth of change. Our goal that year was to beat the $700 we had raised for United Way. We not only did that but raised enough to be one of the top schools in the program.

I don't know if it was the free Olive Garden lunch for the homeroom that contributed the most or Ms. Goohs' relentless enthusiasm, or if the students and parents just feel passionate about taking care of leukemia patients, but Princeton stepped up. I graduated that year but Princeton has continued to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Many years they are the top or the second highest school in the country! Last year they raised $38,000. The year before that it was $46,000.

It's amazing to look back and think that I had a hand in starting that tradition. And I'm happy to note, and a little jealous, that the students don't have to count out the change by hand anymore. Coinstar now donates a change machine. In fact, I think most of the money doesn't come from pennies found in the couch but from corporate sponsors and proud alums, but they still do collect change and they still have homeroom competitions. Their goal this year is $42,010. Hope they can do it!

Check out the school's website if you're interested.

http://www.princeton.k12.oh.us/HighSchool.cfm?subpage=305

Or the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's website.

http://lls.org/hm_lls