They were shooting for $1,000, but as of Friday the students at Mayfield Intermediate School in Manassas had collected more than $3,000 to give to the relief efforts in Haiti. The students started collecting the money Wednesday and could easily gather another thousand-or two or three-before they conclude the drive Friday. Much of the money came from piggy banks, said Jeff Abt, the school's principal. Royale Loibman brought in all three of his piggy banks for the cause. "I'm glad that we're helping Haiti. I kind of feel bad for them," the 10-year-old Royale said. "They're losing their homes. They don't have that much food and water. It just makes me really sad that they don't have anything to eat and drink,"Royale said.

Other money, in cash and checks ranging from $10 to $200, came in from staff and family. Luke Krizmanich, the school's student government advisor, is spearheading the effort and said students are giving even when they might not be in the best of financial positions. "One of our students brought in a $20 bill and it was a student that I know doesn't have a lot at home," Krizmanich said. He asked the student if she really wanted to give up the $20. "She said, 'They need it more than I do,'" Krizmanich said. "When you have kids bringing in pencil boxes with their spare change in it and just dumping it out ... and saying, 'You know what? I don't need it that much,' and they give it to someone else, that's something good to see," he said.

The amount of money coming in surpassed Krizmanich's expectations. "I had no idea what to expect. I thought $1,000 would be good," he said. Abt, too, was surprised at the amount of money the students raised. "It's just surpassed what I thought we'd bring in especially with the economy the way it is now," he said.

The PNC Bank in Bristow is letting Krizmanich and the students use the bank's change counting machine for free, Krizmanich said. Many other banks in the area would have charged to change the coins into bills, he said.

All of the money the students collect will go to the Prince William chapter of the American Red Cross, which will funnel 100 percent of the donations to relief efforts in Haiti, Krizmanich said.

January 24, 2010
Inside NOVA.com