Pomona students rack up funds for Afghan children

Deirdre Newman

WESTSIDE -- When Pomona Elementary Principal Julie McCormick suggested

her students raise money for the children of Afghanistan, she wasn’t sure

what to expect.

Since the school has a high percentage of economically disadvantaged

students, McCormick kept the effort optional and just asked for the

donation of spare change.

McCormick was duly impressed by the response.

Her students collected more than $600 in about a week’s time -- mostly

in $1 to $2 increments.

“It just shows that kids have big hearts no matter how much they have

or don’t have,” McCormick said. “And it’s up to us educators to keep that

alive. They gave more than we asked for.”

The fund-raising effort started when Roger McGonegal, president-elect

of the Newport Balboa Rotary Club, asked McCormick if the school would

like to participate in a UNICEF fund drive.

McCormick said she thought it would be a good opportunityfor the

students to think about helping kids somewhere else in the world.

When UNICEF’s focus shifted from raising money for polio vaccines to

supporting the children of Afghanistan, McCormick wasn’t sure how the

children would react because the teachers hadn’t discussed the war there

with the younger students.

But many of the older students said they were aware of the ravaged

conditions in Afghanistan and wanted to help.

“Me and my mom were watching TV and we saw that they didn’t have any

homes,” said third-grader Wendy Vivar. “I felt bad so I started

collecting money.”

And when third-grader Daniel Iraheta hears about Afghanistan, it’s

firsthand information from his brother, Eric, who is fighting in the war

there.

Daniel contributed his own money -- 100 pennies in all.

“I feel good inside,” Daniel said, adding that he was proud of

President Bush for suggesting the idea.

Even the students who were not familiar with Afghanistan pitched in,

either raising money during trick-or-treating on Halloween or

contributing their own money, with some help from their relatives.

And the money eventually got to UNICEF the high-tech way -- McCormick

took it to a local Coinstar machine where it went directly to the U.S.

fund for UNICEF.

* Deirdre Newman covers education. She may be reached at (949)

574-4221 or by e-mail at o7 deirdre.newman@latimes.comf7 .