This spring semester the elementary students at Porters Chapel Academy spent time raising money for two separate organizations that contribute to health and wellbeing.

Third grade teacher Kay Angel organized the K-4 through sixth grade classes to raise money through donations for the American Lung Association.

“The donations raised by these students will help to continue vital lung disease programs and research,” said Amy Ellis, Director of Health Promotions for the American Lung Association in Mississippi.

After raising more than $1,400, the classes had a field day April 1 on the school’s football field to celebrate their hard work and to promote being active through games like potato-sack races, and relays.

All elementary students participated in the field day even if they didn’t raise money, but the top earners were rewarded with prizes like T-shirts and money. Lyndsey Wigley raised the most money, $120, and went home with a cotton candy machine.

The money the school raised went specifically to a camp sponsored by the American Lung Association.

“They have camp during the summer for kids with asthma that they can go and they can learn how to control their asthma better, plus doing all the fun things they get to do at camp,” Angel said.

She became interested in working with this organization because she had been diagnosed with asthma. She has now been organizing the fundraiser for years.

Counselor Jane Brock wanted to start a fundraiser this year for first through sixth grade students as well.

She had the students gather donations over three weeks in February for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Each student was given a small box to collect coins or cash. Her goal was to raise $600.

“Being the first year that we’d done this, I didn’t want to overdo the goal at that time,” she said. “But in the end after that three-week period they had raised $1,000.”

As a small private school and only having one class per grade, Brock said she was blown away with how much the students raised.

“They were excited for themselves too,” she said.

The fourth grade class were the gold banner earners and received a pizza party at the end of the year.

Both the third and fifth grade classes received the bronze banner award for the money they raised.

Brock said she showed the students a video and took time to speak with them about leukemia and lymphoma so they knew about the disease and where they money was going.

“I let them know that there are children their age going through this terrible disease,” she said.

Their donations went specifically to people in the Louisiana and  Mississippi area that requested help accessing care. She plans on continuing the fundraiser again next year.