My fifth-grade daughter, Sarah Moran, is a student at Opstad Elementary. After what happened in New York, she was compelled to help in any way she could. She came up with the idea of a schoolwide penny drive.

Sarah approached her teacher, Mrs. O’Leary, to see if she could start the drive. Mrs. O’Leary approved it in her classroom and told Sarah to talk to the principal to ask if they could do it schoolwide. Mr. Jester, the principal, also thought this was a great idea and that’s how it got started.

After a few weeks of collecting coins, the kids counted and rolled all the change. There was a total of $510. The teachers also donated money for a total of $500. That brought the grand total to $1010.

I am very proud of my daughter and the kids and teachers at Opstad.

Ruth Moran

North Bend