The Corbin Middle School Leadership Club recently demonstrated the power of teamwork and compassion by raising approximately $1,000 for the Knox-Whitley Humane Association through a month-long “penny war” fundraiser.
The idea was sparked when CMS instructional monitor Tammy Hart approached the Leadership Club with a suggestion to hold a simple penny drive to support the local animal shelter. Youth Service Center Coordinator and Leadership Club sponsor Michelle McDonald took the idea a step further by turning it into a competitive and fun penny war among the school’s A&A (Advisory and Advisee) classes.
Each A&A class was given a bucket and instructions on how to participate. Students earned points by adding pennies to their own class bucket—but the twist was that silver coins and paper money subtracted points, allowing other classes to sabotage their competition. The creative twist led to enthusiastic participation from students across the school.
The fundraiser ran for about a month. At the end, McDonald and fellow sponsor Danielle Hardin took the collected coins and bills to Hometown Bank, where staff graciously counted the donations.
The A&A class with the highest score received a special breakfast from Bojangles, while the rest of the funds were donated to the animal shelter. Following the fundraiser, members of the CMS Leadership Club visited the shelter to deliver the donation in person and spend time with the animals.
“We’re so proud of what our students accomplished,” said McDonald. “The mission of the Leadership Club is to help develop leadership skills in our youth, and service projects like this give them the chance to make a real difference in their community.”
McDonald added that the club looks forward to more opportunities to serve the Corbin community in the future.
