Pennies for their programs

Angelique Flores

Johnny Olive, 10, has been busy looking for money. But all he wants

are pennies.

The fifth-grader is gathering the change as part of the Pennies for

Prevention project.

Huntington Beach schools are participating in the program, which

raises money for drug prevention programs. Students can deposit the

copper coins in containers at their school until Oct. 26.

For every pound of pennies collected, a school will earn $1 for its

drug awareness programs. The rest of the money will go toward other drug

abuse programs organized by the project’s sponsors: Promoting Resources

in Drug Education Foundation, Project PATH, the Huntington Beach

Coalition Against Substance Abuse and the Huntington Beach Police

Department.

“The intent is to heighten awareness of the programs that exist for

drug prevention,” said Shirley Carey, chair of the PRIDE Foundation.

Some of those program are Drug Alcohol Resistance Education and Every

Fifteen Minutes, which both teach children about substance abuse, the

consequences of drugs and alcohol, peer pressure and self-esteem.

Carey also hopes this project will become an annual one. Irvine

schools participated in the program last year and raised $18,000.

“It’s our first year, and our goal is to collect $10,000,” said

Barbara Huss, the program’s coordinator.

The program will culminate at the end of the month with Red Ribbon

Week, Oct. 23-27.

Until then, donors can also deposit their pennies at the Huntington

Beach Police substations, Huntington Beach fire stations and Huntington

Beach City Hall until Oct. 26.

Schools will bring their pennies to the Bank Of America on Delaware

and Main streets on Oct. 27 to be weighed.

For now, students such as Olive will continue their hunt for pennies

to bring to school.

“I can still look through all the couches and in the streets,” he

said.