By Susan Dickson
Staff Writer
Two sheep, four goats, one cow and two llamas, recently purchased by McDougle Elementary School, will soon find homes with needy families around the world.
With more than $1,500 raised by McDougle Elementary students during the month of April, the animals will be donated to families through the Heifer International Foundation.
Heifer International helps feed millions of people in more than 120 counties by donating animals to families to help them become more self-reliant. Recipients then become donors by giving one or more of their animals’ offspring to other families.
The fundraiser started earlier this year in Linda Poythress’s second-grade class, where students invited their parents and staff members to come hear each child read for a quarter. The project was so successful, Principal Tekeisha Ford said, they decided to make it a school-wide effort.
“We got excited about it,†Ford said. “We wanted to just include everybody.â€
Students held bake sales, did extra chores or sold old toys to raise money. Some even donated their allowances.
“It was really interesting to see how [the students] worked in the community,†Ford said.
The project coincided with the school’s April character education focus, which was global awareness. Each month, the school has a different character trait that the kids learn about and discuss.
While learning about the project, many students had questions about how Heifer International works. Some wanted to know how poor families could afford to feed the animals, while others asked how the animals could help the families.
“It helped [the students] understand how other people live and what this really meant to them,†Ford said.
Their original goal was to raise enough money to buy a cow, Ford said. With all the money raised, McDougle Elementary was able to buy nine animals, including a cow, in the Heifer Foundation’s “Joy to the World†package.
Carol Morton, a McDougle Elementary reading teacher who helped organize the project, said the school is already planning another Heifer International fundraiser for next year. In addition, teachers are exploring ways to tie the project in with other parts of the curricula.
For example, Morton said they might use the project in math classes, where students could count the money collected.
As for this year’s project, Morton said she was pleased with the students’ participation.
“It was a true school-wide effort,†she said. “It was awesome.â€