Students' efforts add up to big results

By MARY RAINWATER
The Palestine Herald

PALESTINE March 24, 2007 02:17 am

— Westwood Primary School students took a very proud victory walk at Panther Stadium Friday as a reward for their efforts in raising $17,000 for the St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital in Memphis, Tenn.
After exceeding their goal of $10,000 by $5,100 last year, this year the students and faculty attempted to aim a little higher with a goal of $20,000 to help the kids at St. Jude.
While they didn’t quite reach their goal, St. Jude campaign sponsors and teachers Toni Wardell and Donna Armstrong still felt the students’ efforts were worth celebrating and so organized the victory lap and balloon release at the stadium.
“I want to thank all the boys and girls for working so hard to raise money for the kids of St. Jude Hospital,” Wardell told the students Friday. “Everything you raised goes to help those sick kids.”
While, various fund-raisers are held throughout the St. Jude campaign period, the campus’ biggest fund-raiser is the Math-A-Thon, during which students do math problems and get sponsors to donate money for every problem they complete.
“You worked very hard to raise money for these sick kids,” Westwood Primary Principal Brinn Williford told the students. “These kids don’t get to go to school and live normal lives like you do.
“There are lots of things I want you as students to learn in school — to read, to write and to do math,” Williford added. “But I also want you to learn to think about other people — and you have done so by helping the kids at St. Jude’s.”
Williford and Wardell wanted to thank the parents and community for their efforts in helping the school raise the funds for St. Jude.
“This would not have happened without support from the parents, the community and the staff of Westwood Primary School,” Wardell said. “Thank for supporting our students and the students at St. Jude’s Hospital.”
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Mary Rainwater may be reached via e-mail at mrainwater@palestineherald.com