Valley schools collect pennies for peace

With the idea that pocket change in the U.S. can build schools in the Middle East and thwart terrorism, Jacks Valley Elementary School is rounding out its second year of the Pennies for Peace program.

"We have collected a little over $600 so far," said Jacks Valley kindergarten teacher Laura Williams. "Our librarian is donating all the library fines paid in the month of March to Pennies for Peace. The students are excited and are involved in many different global learning projects related to the penny drive."

The international campaign was inspired by the book "Three Cups of Tea" by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. The former co-founded the Central Asia Institute that now oversees the effort to convert what is often considered useless change in first-world countries into revenue for schools in developing Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Williams said the school's drive coordinates nicely with a county-wide effort to read the book. Douglas County Reads: Three Cups of Tea, co-chaired by Foothill residents Jim and Barbara Slade, runs through April 13.

For the event, the Angwin Foundation purchased 800 copies of the book in three editions, with 300 going to the Minden library and the high school, 400 of the young readers' edition going to the middle schools and upper elementary grades, and another 100 of the children's picture book distributed to children in kindergarten-third-grade.

Besides reading the book, the public can also help out with the penny drive. There's a jar in the front office of Jacks Valley where people can drop off change.

Minden Elementary and Carson Valley Middle School have joined the campaign as well.

Minden computer tech Sherry Lugone said she was inspired by "Three Cups of Tea" and approached principal Ken Stoll in January about a Pennies for Peace campaign at the school.

"Mr. Stoll suggested that we get the student council involved, and that we think big - a million pennies, ten thousand dollars, nearly enough for a school," Lugone said.

Lugone reports the school collected 35,000 pennies, or $350, in the first week of the drive.

"The pace has slowed down, but we have more than $500 now," she said. "There is no ending date, just whenever we reach our goal of a million pennies. Mr. Stoll and P.E. teacher Dennis Murphy are building an enormous box with a Plexiglas front to contain the coins. We'll be able to watch it slowly fill up as we work toward our goal."

Like Williams, Lugone said people can donate to the cause by bringing pennies to the front office of Minden Elementary 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

"I've been so touched by the kind and generous hearts of our MES students donating money for poor children on the other side of the world," said Lugone.