Riverhead Schoolkids Raise More Than $4K for Kenya

RIVERHEAD, NY-Elementary school kids in Riverhead spread kindness across the world recently.

Under the direction of Riverhead Community Awareness Program social worker Shannon Kutner, all four K-4 elementary schools in the Riverhead Central School District participated in the Great Kindness Challenge from January 25 to 29.

The Great Kindness Challenge, which was born in California, is a national and international movement to inspire children to perform random acts of kindness under the premise that being kind to others pays it forward.

The week kicked off with author Lisa Krekeler visiting all four elementary schools and reading her book, “Emily and the Kindness Bracelet”, a story about a little girl who passes her kindness bracelet to the first person she observes doing something in service to others. The bracelet is passed from person to person in Emily’s school and community until it eventually comes back to her.

In addition to performing kind acts in their school and community, students from Aquebogue, Phillips Avenue, Riley Avenue and Roanoke Avenue schools as well as Riverhead Middle School participated in the Kind Coins for Kenya challenge, an event organized by Kids for Peace.

First, the students watched a video featuring a child named Magi who lives in the village of Mikei, Kenya.

Inspired by the story, the students began collecting spare change in an effort to help build a school in Magi’s village. The fundraiser concluded this week and in total, the students from Riverhead’s elementary schools and middle school raised $4,635.33.

Jena Binkis, a fourth grader from Aquebogue Elementary School was so motivated by Magi’s story that she organized a fundraiser at her church, Living Water Church in Aquebogue.

Jena made signs and decorated a collection jar, hoping to raise $50. Jena said that she feels “very lucky to have a big school with lots of books” and that she “hopes the kids in Kenya can have the same.”

Jena raised $885 all by herself.

In addition to the funds raised by the campaign, the students wrote their “wishes” for the students of Mikei on paper bricks that they decorated and hung up in their individual schools, creating a “Wall of Wishes.”

Student wishes included the sentiments “I hope you like your new school,” “Broken Crayons Still Color,” “All Kids Deserve an Education,” and “I Hope your Teachers are as Nice as Ours.”