GASTONIA, North Carolina - A month-long campaign by a North Carolina school district raised $25,000 for school districts in Clarendon and Williamsburg counties.
The Nickels 4 Neighbors campaign culminated Nov. 19 after its start Oct. 14 in reaction to devastating flooding in central and eastern South Carolina.
All three Clarendon districts received $5,000, according to Gaston County Board of Education Chairman Kenneth R. Lutz Jr. and Superintendent of Schools W. Jeffrey Booker, who presented the funds to representatives from those districts last week. The Williamsburg County School District also received a donation of $10,000.
They were joined in a presentation to Clarendon School District 1's administrative office last week by Southwest Middle School Principal Rebecca Huffstetler; Chief Communications Officer Todd Hagans; and Pleasant Ridge Elementary School social worker LaTonya Burgess.
The money received by the districts is to help children who were affected by October's flooding, which began early Oct. 1 and continued throughout the next week.
“Our ‘Nickels 4 Neighbors’ campaign has been a significant project for Gaston County Schools,” said Booker. “Not only were we able to help schoolchildren and their families in South Carolina, we had the opportunity to teach our students about the importance of compassion and kindness and helping people in need.”
The district-wide campaign challenged each school to college 4,000 nickels, or $200. The district more than doubled its fundraising goal.
