Lester Students Launch Bracelet Campaign for Hurricane Sandy Victims

The following article was submitted by Downers Grove Grade School District 58:

Great things can happen when students put their minds together.

Lester sixth-grade student Katie Lyda traveled to New York City over the winter holidays, where she saw firsthand the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy.

“I felt really bad for the people who lived there, because they all lost their homes,” she said.

Katie partnered with classmate Parker McGuire to make a difference.

The two had made bracelets for fun in the past, and decided to sell them to raise money. On Feb. 13, Katie and Parker brought 160 bracelets to school to sell for 50 cents apiece, dubbing their campaign “Bandy for Sandy.” They quickly sold out of their supply, and took orders for another 200! Friends helped them complete their orders with a bracelet-making party.

With proceeds from the bracelet sales, coupled with donations from Lester students and staff, Katie and Parker collected $310 that will be donated to the American Red Cross to help victims of Hurricane Sandy.

“It feels really good. We're talking about doing even more fundraisers,” Katie said.

“It made me feel like people actually cared about people that were hurt,” Parker said. “That made me feel happy.”

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