Local Elementary Schools Raise $3,472 for New Crozet Library

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Brownsville PTO president Joanne Meier presented a check to BCL chairman Bill Schrader and Crozet librarian Rhonda Johnson at an end-of-school event June 6.
Brownsville PTO president Joanne Meier presented a check to BCL chairman Bill Schrader and Crozet librarian Rhonda Johnson at an end-of-school event June 6.

Fund drives at Crozet and Brownsville Elementary Scools raised $3,472.37 for the Build Crozet Library campaign.

A schoolwide effort at Crozet Elementary, led by the Leadership Club, with the assistance of teachers Katherine Hamel and Anne James, raised $1,285.40 from the student body, staff and families. Crozet Elementary will have a gold leaf commemorating their effort on the giving tree wall in the new library’s entrance hall.

Brownsville Elementary School’s “Pennies for Pages=Bucks for Books” drive raised $2,186.97. Brownsville PTO president Joanne Meier presented a check to BCL chairman Bill Schrader and Crozet librarian Rhonda Johnson at an end-of-school event June 6.

Meier designed a fundraising drive that minimized competition between classes or grades and tried to unite the school toward its goal, which, originally, was to raise $1,000 to earn one leaf on the library’s Giving Tree.

“During the first week of Pennies for Pages, Brownsville students voted for their favorite dance song,” explained Meier. “They got to choose between Party Rock Anthem and Scream & Shout (the clean version!). We played snippets of each song on our announcements for two mornings and the kids brought in coins to vote during lunch. PTO volunteers facilitated coin collection by rolling a cart through the cafeteria for collection.”

Party Rock Anthem brought in $376.20, and Scream & Shout brought in $347.13.

“Once we knew the winning song,” Meier said, “willing Brownsville teachers formed two dance teams, ‘BEE Dazzled Dancers’ and ‘Vote for Us.’ Each team choreographed a dance to Party Rock Anthem and they were filmed performing it one day after school. Nine teachers and a custodian were dancers. Brownsville principal India Haun allowed the videos to be shown school-wide one afternoon just before dismissal. It was a huge hit with the kids. They voted during the next two days during lunch.”

Crozet Elementary School Leadership Club
Crozet Elementary School Leadership Club

Votes for dancers brought in $580 and a win for the BEE Dazzled Dancers. “At that point, money from the songs, the dances and family donations brought us just $292 away from our revised goal, a second gold leaf,” said Meier. “We had a ‘last ditch day’ where we just asked kids to help us wrap it up by bringing in any spare coins at their house.”

United Bank graciously covered CoinStar fees (just over $110) so all the coins would not have to be counted. The final total was $2,186.97.

“The fundraiser was a huge success,” Meier said. “One student brought in her entire penny collection, a group of third-grade BEEs sold lemonade and cookies and then donated the money, and a kindergartner shared coins she got from the tooth fairy. The whole school is more excited than ever about the new library, and I think they feel a real sense of ownership knowing that they helped buy books to fill the shelves!”