Laurel Plains Elementary School Fifth Grade to Host Car Wash and Bake Sale Fundraiser Saturday

The Laurel Plains Elementary School fifth grade class will be holding a car wash and bake sale to raise money for the Caitlin Powers Scholarship Fund.

The event is set for Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the school parking lot.  In the event of rain, it will be held on Sunday, May 15 or the following weekend on Saturday, May 21 or Sunday, May 22.

Each year, the fifth grade does a community service project.  This year, it will be the car wash and bakesale to honor their late classmate and friend, Caitlin Powers. Powers past away in January of last year at the age of 9 from a brain hemhorrage.  The scholarship fund was created in her honor to help graduating high school students with their college expenses. Winners espouse the same fun-loving attitude and enjoyment of sports that Powers did.

"Caitlin was a sports fanatic," said Caitlin's mother Denise Powers.  "Her grades weren't the best, so we don't look at grades.  We just want someone that's outgoing and social.  Sports for her was more for socializing, though she was competitive to a point, it was more about being out there and making friends with other people."  She added, "She was not the best student, but she was always having a smile on her face.  She got along with everyone. She hit someone, somehow with her personality every way that I can think of."

After last year's outpouring of support from the community, which allowed for three graduating seniors to each receive a $750 scholarship, Denise Powers is excited at the prospect of being able to help another three seniors with their college education this year.  Whether there is a third scholarship will depend on the success of Saturday's fundraiser.

"We were unaware that anything like this scholarship was ever going to take place," said Denise Powers.  "Last year, the PTA for the school decided, let's put a scholarship together in honor of Caitlin, so I just want to keep it going as best I can.  So, when the fifth graders approached me about doing the car wash, I was very honored and I thought great, maybe we can do a third scholarship, because Link Elementary did this with their car wash last year and we were able to give out three scholarships because of the extra money that came in from it."  She added, "It's very overwhelming, I never knew it would be this big.  I can see how much this community cares."

Organizing the day in unison with the fifth grade class is a parent committee headed by Sue Ann Ryan and Robyn Failing.  Anyone interested in volunteering can contact Ryan at 914-584-5092 or online at sueann55@aol.com.  As the fifth grade is in need of donations, from sponges to buckets to car soap, anyone interested in donating can drop these items off at the school's office.