Students at Elbridge Gale Elementary School recently completed the Pasta for Pennies program, presented by Olive Garden, benefiting the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Palm Beach Area Chapter and raised an impressive $8,834.85.
This earned Elbridge Gale the Making Change Top School Award for the third year in a row out of 150 participating area schools.
The school has set a record for the Palm Beach area. In the six years Elbridge Gale has supported LLS, the students have collected more than $28,800 in spare change.
This legacy started when Sebastian Sarmiento, a third grader at Elbridge Gale in 2007, was diagnosed with leukemia. While Sebastian was sick, the Wellington community rallied to help his family with the spiraling medical bills and household expenses.
Sadly, Sebastian lost his battle in 2009. Ever since then, Elbridge Gale has continued fundraising efforts with proceeds supporting research to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma, and improve quality of life for patients and their families.
Students collect spare change during a three-week period during the school year, and the class that raises the most money in each school receives a pasta party courtesy of Olive Garden.
For more about LLS school and youth programs, visit www.schoolandyouth.org/pb.
ABOVE: Elbridge Gale students raised funds for the Pasta for Pennies Program.
