Students raising funds, awareness

Snowy roads kept students from visiting Doernbecher Children's Hospital in Portland on Kiwanis Day this February, but students at Wahkiakum district schools are in full swing with fund-raising efforts to help the children there.

Junior Ashley Silva, Key Club president, is coordinating efforts with help from Angie Pugh, who brought the program to Wahkiakum schools last year, when her son, Bradlee Pugh was a senior, and Jeff Rooklidge, Key Club adviser, and about 20 students. The Key Club is a student affiliate of the Kiwanis Club of Cathlamet.

The Key Club participated in the Kids Making Miracles program for the first time last year, raising $1800. Silva participated as a sophomore on the committee, which was composed of seniors. Since then the fund-raising efforts have opened across the grades, with the Builder’s Club, a Kiwanis affiliate in younger grades helping, Silva and Pugh said Tuesday.

Over past weeks, the students have sold teddy bears, donated by the Charlotte House, to be given to patients at Doernbecher, and has created a court, whose members are fund raising with collection jars and bake sales.

Princes and princesses from each class at the high school were nominated by high school staff on criteria that include leadership, and recognized at the opening assembly held March 2. The person who collects the most will be crowned king and queen at the closing assembly planned for Monday.

Students are selling wrist bracelets and Dolly Heads, which are pictures of the Doernbecher mascot for $1, these and jars for contributions are available in each bank in Cathlamet.

At the schools, jars are available for donations for a staff member from each building to get a pie in the face. Last year, there was strong competition among staff to avoid the pie in the face, Silva said. The students are also raffling off the chance to be the person throwing the pie.

Students are selling root beer floats Friday, using materials donated by the Kiwanis Club. On Friday, the group is raising money with a screening of Toy Story III at 6:30 p.m. at the High School gym. At the closing assembly on Monday, the amount of money raised will be announced, king and queen crowned, and staff will get the pie in the face.