McKenzie Students Collect Over $600 in Pennies
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MCKENZIE, Tenn. – One man’s junk is a treasure to the students at McKenzie Middle School, which is a penny. It took just a month for the 6th graders to collect over $600 in pennies alone. This is a penny drive through the GREAT program at the school. GREAT stands for Gang Resistance Education and Training. Over the course of the year, students are encouraged to get involved in their community. Gavin Summers is a 6th grade student and said he enjoyed the penny drive. He explained, “It’s fun to compete with other classes on who can bring in the most because in the end we all win. We’re all donating to the same cause.” All it takes is one penny from each of the students in the 6th grade class to come together and make a difference. In the end, all the students come together and decide on what they will spend the money on. In the previous years they have bought items which will better the school and community. Macey Ognivene is another 6th grade students. “It’s always better to help others and to give than received, we need to give back,” she said. School Resource Officer and D.A.R.E. instructor, Officer Sykes has done the penny drive for eight years now and enjoys the enthusiasm and creativity the students come up with. “My idea was that I wanted to put an automatic door on the front of the building and have it be a computer system to open the doors, so intruders can’t get in,” says 6th grade student Brianna Moon.
