Troup School students in New Haven raise $1,144 to benefit kids in Ukraine

NEW HAVEN — The big-hearted kids from Augusta Lewis Troup School just raised more than $1,100 to help provide psychological and psychosocial services to children affected by the Russian invasion in Ukraine.

And they had fun while doing it.

It all started when Katherine Hopkins’ fourthgrade class came up with the idea to raise money for children in Ukraine.

Then the Troup Student Council, led by sixth-grade teacher Da’Jhon Jett and guidance counselor Maria Nuterangelo, got involved to organize a coin drive at Troup to help turn the idea into a reality.

The whole school, under the direction of Principal Eugene J. Foreman Jr., got involved, ultimately raising $1,144, according to one of the teachers involved.

“We posted our flier for the fundraiser on our social media, and were then contacted by On the Spot Entertainment, run by Adrian Pate, Joel Pate and Jamel Linen,” said first-grade teacher Kristina Crivellone, whose 12-student class ended up raising $274, the most of any class at the school.

“They thought the fundraiser was a great effort, and they wanted to help,” Crivellone said.

“OTSE offered to donate an hour of play in their brand-new entertainment truck to the class who raises the most money,” said Crivellone, whose class got to enjoy that prize Wednesday with a field day on the school playground and in the On the Spot Entertainment trailer.

“The founders of On the Spot had the idea of launching their mobile entertainment center from their time running a community-focused nonprofit called ‘Hands for Help,’” she said.

Over three weeks, students at Troup raised a total of $1,144 for the Voices of Children charity, which provides psychological and psychosocial services to children in Ukraine who have been traumatized or otherwise affected by the war.

Students brought in money day after day, Crivellone said. Some parents sent in gallon jugs of coins. One family even launched a mini-fundraiser on their Facebook page to get their friends and family involved, she said.

“We are just super proud of our families’ efforts, and were so grateful for OTSE’s offers to help us get our kids motivated!” Crivellone said.

Above left, Members of teacher Kristina Crivellone's first grade class at Augusta Lewis Troup School in New Haven pose with Adrian Pate, Jamel Linen and Joel Pate of On the Spot Entertainment, which donated an hour of playtime in its new entertainment truck to the class that raised the most money in Troup's coin drive to benefit children affected by the war in Ukraine. Crivellone's class raised $274. At left, Troup Principal Eugene J. Foreman Jr., center, and first grade teacher Kristina Crivellone with, from left, Jamel Linen, Adrian Pate and Joel Pate.

Contributed / Courtesy of Kristina Crivellone