Elementary School Students Give Back to Wounded Warrior Project

WOLCOTT, Conn., March 8, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Alcott Elementary School students in seven grade levels spent weeks saving their pennies and allowances for a special school fundraiser known as "Penny Wars." The activity culminated with a presentation of the donations to the charity that was chosen by the students: Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP).

"The students raised $1,340 across seven grades," said Alcott school principal Shawn Simpson. "In addition to what these children learn through their studies, it's equally important that they learn how to support their communities and engage with others. I want everyone to leave the school with the skills to be able to give back to their communities. I want our kids to realize that they're part of something bigger than just this school, and how they can make a difference in other people's lives. Little feats can amount to huge things."

The grade that raised the most for WWP won a very special prize: 30 minutes of extra recess time on the playground. Drew Caouette, a 4th-grade student at Alcott who helped organize the fundraiser, was part of the grade that won the prize. He also introduced the special guest speaker from WWP, Cindy Parsons. During the school-wide assembly, Cindy told students about her son Shane, who was seriously wounded in Iraq when a bomb detonated under his Humvee.

"It was very emotional," Drew said. "She talked to us about her son's time in the Army, and it was awesome to hear about how much Shane has done for our country. The other kids were talking about her story for days after the event. We gave her a Wolcott T-shirt and a few other small items for her to remember her time at our school."

"Cindy was very good about speaking to the kids," said Stacey Caouette, Drew's mother.  She made her story come alive and really spoke to their level. The wounds of war are a heavy topic, but she got the importance of what she was saying through to the kids in a way that didn't scare them but actually inspired them."

To learn more about this event, visit http://newsroom.woundedwarriorproject.org/Elementary-School-Students-Give-Back-to-Wounded-Warrior-Project.  

About Wounded Warrior Project
Wounded Warrior Project^® (WWP) connects, serves, and empowers wounded warriors. Read more at http://newsroom.woundedwarriorproject.org/about-us.

SOURCE Wounded Warrior Project