Lakewood Elementary Students Donate Generously

Led by their student government representatives, Lakewood Elementary School students contributed $2,724.80 to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society through their school-wide “Pennies For Patients Program.” The collection, which took place over two months, surpassed 2011’s donation. 

Andrea Fields, campaign manager of the Westchester/Hudson Valley Chapter of the , attended the Monday night Clarkstown School Board meeting to thank Lakewood students and present them with a plaque.  She told them that 78 cents out of every dollar contributed goes toward aiding patients and research to end blood cancer. Superintendent Margaret Keller-Cogan noted the students’ philanthropic nature was admirable.

Student representatives of each grade, kindergarten through fifth, coordinated the collection effort with the assistance of their advisers Pat Sforzo and Gina Leone.  Individual classes at the Congers school received pennants for achieving certain donation levels set by the Society.

The “Gold Pennant” for donating more than $300 went to the third grade class of Amy Cazes and Mrs. Hanigan and the fifth grade class of Marc Paseltiner. “Silver Pennants” were presented to three classes for raising more than $200 each, Allison Bleifer's third grade class and Debra Kate Schneider and Marianna Turselli’s fourth grade classes. 

“Bronze Pennants” for donating more than $100 went to:

• Janine Nelson and Lorraine Vitulano’s Kindergarten classes
• Debra Batorfalvy, Pamela Farsetta and Amy Slomovitz’s first graders
• Jean Irizarry, Linda Mattson and Katherine Menz’s second grade classes
• Jennifer Olori’s third graders
• Sara Levin’s fifth graders
• The Lakewood Library Staff

Lakewood students raised $450 more than 2011 when they donated a total of $2,274 to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.