Vinita students helping raise money for tsunami victims

Tuesday, January 11th 2005, 11:06 am

By: News On 6

The impact of the tsunami is still being felt in Craig County and elsewhere across eastern Oklahoma. Oklahomans are rushing to the aid of victims, some going to the scene, while others are helping here at home.

News on 6 anchor Terry Hood says some young Vinita residents are pitching in. When you're in kindergarten, having any money at all is a huge deal, but it's a much bigger deal to give it away.

Penny by penny, the students at Hall-Halsell Elementary School in Vinita are collecting money for victims of the tsunami disaster. Every day, students bring in all the loose change they can find. Then the money goes into a see-through globe so kids can see how much money they've collected.

When teachers asked the students how they should spend the money, the kids all agreed that it should go to the children hit hardest by the disaster. Hall-Halsell principal Cathy Williams: "We know that those students lost their school, they lost home and family members, and there are a lot of things we can't replace. But if it can buy shoes, if it can buy food and water, or if it could buy school supplies, that would be really something these children could know they participated in and helped.â€

Students can bring in pennies all this week. Next week, they'll ask for nickels, then dimes, and finally quarters.