Whiz Kids: Members of the Eastchester Middle School Student Leadership Club

Each week, Bronxville-Eastchester Patch will be highlighting the great work and accomplishments of local kids in the weekly Whiz Kid feature.

Name: Student Leadership Club

School: Eastchester Middle School, 6th graders

Accomplishment: The club, which was designed to meet the needs of the local school community, also participates in initiatives to help the larger Westchester community

Key to Awesomeness:

The sixth grade Student Leadership Club at Eastchester Middle School has come up with a number of ideas to unite the school. In their latest initiative, “Pennies For Patients,” a fundraiser sponsored by The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of White Plains, they raised $5,869.

“The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society have this fundraiser every year and send materials over to the school. We participated about six years ago and raised $12,800. My leadership students this year chose to do this project because they felt it was important to support the children with the disease,” said Dorothy Salierno, a health teacher and the club’s advisor.

The 30 students assembled 750 small banks. Thirty classes participated—10 from each grade—and had a bank in their homeroom. Then, every student placed a box at home and collected pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters and more.

“The small program became huge overnight. We had homerooms competing against one another,” Salierno said.

Competitions are always fun, but can be especially enjoyable when there are incentives. In this case, middle school principal Dr. Walter Moran was asked to dress up as Abraham Lincoln if the students raised $4,000, according to Salierno. 

“All of the students really worked hard to make that happen,” Salierno said.

The students not only met their goal, they surpassed it. Dr. Moran dressed up as Lincoln for all three lunch blocks and said a speech, highlighting the importance of giving back and thanking the students for their participation.

“It was important (to participate) because there are so many kids with Leukemia and cancer and it really makes a big difference if we all work together to raise money to help them,” said Megan, 11, a student leader.

“No matter if you gave a penny or a hundred dollars it makes a big difference to people that really need it the most,” said Amanda, 12, another student leader.

“We Made EVERY Penny Count!” said the represented student leaders in unison.

Currently, Salierno and the student leaders are waiting for April 16, when they’ll find out whether they are the top school that raised the most funds.