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WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP – The wins just keep coming for students in Mrs. Maria Casella’s Split Lunch (homeroom) group at Bunker Hill Middle School. For the fifth consecutive year, Casella’s students raised the most money of all the split lunches, earning a full lunch from the Olive Garden as part of the company’s 13th annual “Pasta for Pennies” campaign. The program benefits the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
The fundraiser at BHMS is spearheaded by the school’s student council and runs for a three-week period. Students are asked to bring in whatever loose change or dollars they can to help the cause. In past years, Casella would match the donation of the highest contributor in her split lunch. “Someone always took in $100 just to see their teacher match it,” Casella said.
This year, however, was different. Casella had her students write down the amount they donated on paper, and all of those amounts were put into a hat. Whatever amount Casella picked out of the hat, she would match. This year, it was just $1, but the class still managed to raise $325 and win the friendly competition. On Wednesday, May 3rd, the Olive Garden came to Casella’s classroom with a full lunch of pasta, salad and breadsticks.
BHMS is one of more than 2,700 school across the country participating in the campaign. The class in each school that raises the most money receives a pasta party served by their local Olive Garden. In 2016, Pasta for Pennies raised a record $4.2 million solely through student contributions. The money raised supports leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma research and patient services.
In the photos above, students in Mrs. Maria Casella’s split lunch pose before digging into their pasta party, provided by the Olive Garden.
Pasta for Pennies Winners
Bunker Hill Middle School Class Earns Pasta Party in “Pasta for Pennies” Fundraiser for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
The fundraiser at BHMS is spearheaded by the school’s student council and runs for a three-week period. Students are asked to bring in whatever loose change or dollars they can to help the cause. In past years, Casella would match the donation of the highest contributor in her split lunch. “Someone always took in $100 just to see their teacher match it,” Casella said.
This year, however, was different. Casella had her students write down the amount they donated on paper, and all of those amounts were put into a hat. Whatever amount Casella picked out of the hat, she would match. This year, it was just $1, but the class still managed to raise $325 and win the friendly competition. On Wednesday, May 3rd, the Olive Garden came to Casella’s classroom with a full lunch of pasta, salad and breadsticks.
BHMS is one of more than 2,700 school across the country participating in the campaign. The class in each school that raises the most money receives a pasta party served by their local Olive Garden. In 2016, Pasta for Pennies raised a record $4.2 million solely through student contributions. The money raised supports leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma research and patient services.
In the photos above, students in Mrs. Maria Casella’s split lunch pose before digging into their pasta party, provided by the Olive Garden.
-WTPS -