×

Lewis and Clark Penny Harvest to help families in need

Submitted Photo Lewis and Clark Elementary kindergarteners Brooks Thompson, Jasper Christianson, Jason Maples, Chloe Barker, Sammy Braun and teacher Amy Neal dumped buckets of coins into a wagon. Classroom donations will help purchase meat, fruits and vegetables that will be added to food baskets given out to families in need at the school.

Children from Lewis and Clark Elementary have been collecting their coins and dollars this week as part of the annual Penny Harvest. The money collected this year will go toward adding meat, fruits, and vegetables to classroom food baskets that will be given to Lewis and Clark families in need, said kindergarten teacher Amy Neal.

This is the 16th year that the Penny Harvest has been held. Neal said the highest amount that was raised was in 2014, when the children at the school collected $1,710.65 in coins and dollars. Between 2005 and 2019, the drive raised a combined $15,881.59. She wasn’t sure how much the drive would raise this year, as many people are in different circumstances this year. She hoped that it would be a success. The drive was scheduled to be concluded this week and the donations tallied sometime next week. Food baskets are put together and collected by the families in need on Dec. 17 and 18.

Normally the kindergarteners at the school would have taken a field trip to First International Bank and toured the bank while the donations were being counted.

“Any child that has attended Lewis and Clark Elementary School for kindergarten will remember their field trip to the bank,” said Neal in an email. “Not only do they remember the tour of the bank, but the bus ride is a big hit. Even though we do not get to participate in the field trip, we are still continuing with our community project.”

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today