SOUTHWICK – In the midst of the holiday season, a celebration occurred in the cafeteria of the Southwick-Tolland-Granville Regional High School on Friday morning.
The entire seventh grade class was treated to a Dunkin Donuts breakfast as they were the winner of the Penny Wars competition.
The competition consisted of seventh through twelve graders and each grade donated as many pennies as possible. Every penny raised would count as points towards the competition. For example, 100 pennies would equal to 100 points.
When a grade would donate pennies, other grades would have the opportunity to put a nickel, dime, or quarter in that grade’s jar in order to take away points from that grade.
After it was all said and done, the seventh grade raised just over $260 and overall, across all of the grades involved, around $1,000 was raised.
S.A.D.D. (Students Against Destructive Decisions), is the club at the high school responsible for starting the Penny Wars competition. The club wasn’t around for a few years but was resurrected last year and started Penny Wars. About $600 was raised last year in the competition.
The seventh grade at the Southwick-Tolland-Granville Regional School won the penny wars competition. (Photo by Greg Fitzpatrick)
The club members consist of high school students and had the duty of counting all of the pennies and rolling them up.
Krisin Tetreault, a teacher in the high school, is the advisor of S.A.D.D., and is very thankful for the students participating in the club.
“I can’t say enough about the kids in the club,” said Tetrault. “I’m the advisor, but they run the show.”
S.A.D.D. works with Safe Passage, a local organization from Northampton that provides assistance for individuals dealing with domestic violence, and they will be the recipients of the more than $1,000 that was raised. The money will go towards Safe Passage being able to provide more counseling and assistance for people dealing with domestic violence throughout the surrounding communities.
Korina Jones, a senior in S.A.D.D., was glad that she chose to join the club this year and be a part of making a difference in the community.
“It was just about helping other people,” said Jones. “It’s just good to help.”
Counting and rolling all of those coins was also a great experience for Jones and the rest of the members of the club.
“It was worth it to get it all done for a good cause,” said Jones.
Eddie Martinez, another senior who is a part of S.A.D.D., was proud of the amount of money that was raised. He also saw the experience as an opportunity to connect with the younger kids in the school like the seventh graders.
“I’ve been going around talking to all of those kids (at the celebration on Friday),” said Martinez.
Ben Taglieri, the Vice-Principal of the regional high school, was satisfied to see where the money raised is going.
S.A.A.D. members helped run the penny wars competition and handed out donuts to the seventh graders as part of their celebration. (Photo by Greg Fitzpatrick)
“That’s an awesome thing to do for Safe Passage,” said Taglieri.
The Vice-Principal was also happy to see the seventh graders have the chance to celebrate their victory in the Penny Wars competition.
“I think this is a nice thing for them as a class,” said Taglieri.
Tetrault also wanted to note that as the $1,000 is going to Safe Passage, the teacher runs her own organization, called the Western Mass Distance Project, in which the money raised throughout that project, also goes to Safe Passage.
The annual Hot Chocolate Run in Northampton is always a major event for Tetrault and her running team and that run has been able to donate $30,000 this year for Safe Passage.
It is safe to say that the celebration on Friday morning for the seventh grade, was the outcome of a great way to help raise money towards a great cause.
