SIMI VALLEY : School PTA Makes Its Money Stretch

A chain of dollar bills, placed end-to-end on the ground, stretched halfway around White Oak Elementary School in Simi Valley by the end of the day Wednesday.

But members of the school’s Parent-Teacher Assn. were not satisfied. PTA member Vana Minter said they had hoped to completely encircle the school with money, all donated to the association by area residents.

The chain, started Wednesday morning, was both a fund-raiser and a run for the record books. Volunteers hoped to set the world record for the longest chain of dollar bills ever formed.

They started by having each of the school’s 673 students bring a dollar bill from home. Area businesses and residents mailed in donations. About 50 people visited the school Wednesday to drop off money, Minter said.

The bills were clipped to long ribbons, which were then fastened to the ground.

When the event ended, the chain contained nearly $2,000, Minter said. Not only would the money help pay for such expenses as bus trips and school equipment, but the children who helped make the chain were impressed by the event.

“They were so excited,” Minter said. “They said, ‘What are we going to do with the money? Is it ours?’ ”