FL students raise money for Heifer International

FOUNTAIN LAKE – The Fountain Lake Elementary School’s fundraising efforts succeeded Friday when they surpassed their goal, raising more than $ 5,000 for Heifer International, said FLES physical education teacher Sandy Lively.

“We not only met our goal, but we surpassed it,” she said. “We’re still counting and collecting money.”

Heifer International provides farm animals to families in need and teaches them how to utilize the animals to help sustain their lives.

Fourth- grade teacher Chelsea Chandler said this year’s fourth grade started a goal in August to purchase an Ark, which costs $ 5,000, and includes 15 pairs of animals, including cows, camels, oxen and water buffalo.

The animals will be shipped around the world to several different countries to help fight hunger and poverty.

“For them to have a chance at attaining their goal, they were going to need some assistance,” FL gifted and talented teacher Barbara Niven said.

Niven headed the creation of a steering committee, which has met twice a week for months to head multiple fundraising efforts.

She said each member of the third- and fourth- grade organization was recommended by their teacher. The group includes Asa Westerman, 9, Katie Hughes, 10, Kaylee Martin, 8, Kannyn Wasson, 8, Zoie Dickinson, 9, Zoie Walker, 10, Jackson Keese, 10, Marcus Needles, 10, Cooper Keese, 10, and Grace Westerman, 10.

She said she has partnered with the school’s librarian, Wendy Burfeind, Lively and the other physical education instructor Michael Blees, art instructor Kristen Hedges and music instructor Beverly Benjamin for the cross- curriculum project.

During the Fountain Lake Stride for the Heifer International Donation Extravaganza on Friday on the high school track and field, one of the fundraising efforts, Niven said each instructor set up stations at the walk- a- thon event.

She said all of the specialty teachers’ efforts fit into the district’s Comprehensive Permanent Improvement Plan.

“Our CPIP goal this year was crosscurriculum, and we started this to help the fourth- graders as a team effort to fulfill our CPIP goals,” she said.

She said the booths at the event included, “a booth showing the children how to make butter taught by the li-

brarian, a petting zoo, a music dance booth to teach different dances from across the world, games that children across the world play, face- painting, the Hot Springs Village Heifer International booth and, of course, the walking.”

Niven said second- through fourth- graders participated in the event during the morning and pre- K through secondgraders participated in the afternoon.

“The kids really had a fantastic time,” Lively said.

Other fundraising efforts included a Christmas store in December, a cotton ball sheep challenge where classrooms competed against each other to raise the most funds and Tshirt sales for the Stride for the HIDE.

Niven said area businesses and patrons also contributed to the project.

The steering committee also held a kickoff in March. Since the students reached their goal, participating teachers kissed a pig during the walk- a- thon.