In the past, Cumberland Elementary School has participated in “Caps for Patients”, where students who made a donation to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) were allowed to wear a hat or cap that school day. This March, Cumberland Student Council members ran a “Pennies for Patients” campaign, also a fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Cumberland students had three weeks to reach their ambitious fundraising goal of $3000. LLS put up a challenge that if Cumberland reached its fundraising goal, Cumberland’s principal would kiss a pig. Mrs. Mourtos graciously accepted the challenge.
Cumberland’s Student Council Representatives worked hard to prepare to collect donations. They folded and delivered cardboard collection boxes and delivered them to each classroom. They talked to each class and encouraged everyone to bring in cash donations to help patients and families fighting blood cancers. They collected and counted the donations at the end of each week. The first week of donation took much longer to count than expected because they were pleasantly surprised to have collected over $2000 in one week! At the end of the three-week period, a group of five teachers brought all the cash they had collected to Meriwest Credit Union and spent two hours feeding the coin machine in the lobby. The boxes and bags full of bills and coins amounted to over $4000! The teachers were happily shocked by the success of the fundraiser, though they were not surprised as the Cumberland community has always been generous and supportive of such fundraisers.
The official school-wide celebration included a visit by a representative from the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society at Cumberland’s monthly Cool Cougar Assembly to present a banner for the school to hang, acknowledging Cumberland’s large contribution. Cumberland parents, Diane Guerin and Emily Gutierrez, whose children are members of Rolling Hills 4-H Club, helped bring Barbara Suit and her sons, TJ and Andy, and their young pig to the assembly so that Mrs. Mourtos could fulfill her promise!
Contributor: Ann McCarty, Cumberland teacher, Photos by Diane Guerin and Emily Gutierrez
Here is a link to a San Jose Mercury News article:
http://www.mercurynews.com/sunnyvale/ci_23058540/pucker-up-cumberland-elementary-principal-fulfills-promise-kisses?IADID=Search-www.mercurynews.com-www.mercurynews.com
