Westport's Bedford Middle School Raises Thousands for Charity

From the Bedford Middle School PTA:

WESTPORT, CT — Call it pennies from heaven, just in time for the holidays.

At Bedford Middle School in Westport, 270 eighth graders battled each other in The Great Penny Wars, a friendly but spirited competition to see which teams, or “pods,” could raise the most funds for the town’s community giving organizations.

And raise they did. The 2016 Penny Wars competition was the most successful in the 12-year history of the program, raising over $11,800 for the ’Tis the Season Holiday Gift Drive of the Westport Department of Human Services and other charitable programs.

The funds will help over 50 neighbors with their holiday shopping, as well as a stock of gift cards for groceries, gas, and other essentials. Since the program’s 2004 inception, over $80,000 has been donated — testament to the spirit of giving among Bedford students.

The annual Penny Wars is one of over 40 programs the Bedford PTA conducts throughout the year, including community events for our students, teacher grant programs to support innovative learning opportunities, and events to connect our parents with the school.

Photo: Kevin Cuccaro, 8th Grade Bedford Middle School Teacher, with a portion of the coins collected through the Penny Wars program. Photo credit: Contributed

(Editor's Note: Patch is re-posting this story in case you missed it the first time around.)