Hockinson students raise more than $4,000 for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society

Hockinson — It took four days for Hockinson Middle School students to reach their initial goal of $1,000 in the Pennies for Patients Drive to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, so they quadrupled it. By the end of the three-week drive, the students beat that goal, too, raising $4,821.24, blowing right by their $4,000 goal. By raising more than $4,000, the school earns a Champions for Change designation and will receive a banner from the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. The fundraiser was organized by 27 sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders in Kendall Jones’ leadership associate student body class. The rest of the school’s 430-plus students also participated by collecting change at school, at home and elsewhere. “I wanted to do something to help cure cancer,” said sixth-grader Ethan Moen. “I went around my neighborhood and knocked on doors to ask people to donate.” The school also collected money online, adding nearly $900 to the $4,000 students collected. Maddie Hall, Joe Loper and Scott Thompson’s classes each raised more than $500 on their own during the drive. Knowing where the money was going made Nikki Hill, a Hockinson sixth-grader, excited to participate in the fundraiser, she said. “I liked the thought that our money was being used for something good,” she added.