Blanchard Elementary students raise money for charity, field trips through 'penny wars'

Instead of cards or candy, Valentine's Day at Blanchard Elementary focused on charity.

From Feb. 1 to Friday, students raised money through a "penny wars" competition with each class. Students were encouraged to bring in spare change to see which class could raise the most money.

All that spare change climbed to a total of $1,020, and on Valentine's Day, students donated $200 of the funds they raised to American Heart Association.

"We thought it was fitting because we are 'the school with a heart,'" Blanchard Elementary teacher Jessica Pattengill said. School leaders have long called Blanchard Elementary "The School with a Heart" to highlight staff members' efforts to teach children love and kindness.

The rest of the money raised will be used to fund hands-on learning experiences within classrooms, pay for field trip buses and school-wide events, according to Pattengill.

Students counted how much change was in their classroom containers every day and tallied how much was deposited in a spreadsheet.

The class that raised the most money presented a $200 check to Jennifer Chaney of American Heart Association on Monday.