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Wisconsin’s Mellen School
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They Want to Make a Difference
- Published in: Update - Issue 3 - 2009
- Listen to Article
The kids at Mellen Elementary School found a great thing five years ago – Leader Dog’s Kids N’ Coins program. They enjoyed the program so much that yearly participation has become sort of a tradition.
“All the classrooms pick a team name then we set out buckets so the kids can see how many coins they have collected,” said Ruth Gilgen, Mellen’s title one and reading specialist. “The team that donates the most money gets an ice cream party sponsored by our local Lions Club. I think our best year was around 700 dollars, which isn’t bad for a school our size.”
The 1st grade class was one of the top two fundraisers in 2009. They are pictured with their teacher, Cheryl Larson, and Lion Jim Doty, Lion Kevin Quinn and Superintendent Jim Schuchardt.
Ruth’s favorite part about the program is the awareness it brings to the kids. “Just reaching out and doing something, the community service aspect of it. And even though Leader Dog is pretty far away from us, it’s really world-wide and I like the kids to know they can make a difference in the world and not just in our little niche in Wisconsin.”
The kid’s favorite part about the program is the dogs, though they always enjoy watching the DVD about Leader Dog. “The video just brings a tear to my eye every time I watch it - and I have been watching it for years.”
The kids get so involved in this program that sometimes, unbeknownst to their parents, they try to donate a larger sum…say a hundred dollar bill. When one girl brought in a hundred dollars, Ruth called the parents to let them know. They replaced the donation with one that was more affordable for them.
“It really touches me how much the kids want to help and it’s not just the competition, they really want to help these people and the dogs,” Ruth said. “They want to make a difference.”
If you’d like to bring Kids N’ Coins to your community, visit leaderdog.org/kidsncoins.