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SPREADING GOODNESS

Sandy Knoll Elementary School makes donations to local groups

A sun, made by students, illustrates the message of Spread Goodness Day in the gym of Sandy Knoll Elementary School. (Journal photo by Cecilia Brown)

By CECILIA BROWN

Journal Staff Writer

MARQUETTE — Students of Sandy Knoll Elementary School in Marquette got to celebrate Spread Goodness Day in a big way on Friday. They presented a donation to the Warming Center and Room at the Inn and also had the creator of Spread Goodness Day, Anna Dravland, come to speak to their school at an assembly.

The excitement in the air for Dravland’s visit was tangible — she was greeted with thunderous applause and cheering from students.

“Thank you all so much … when I heard how much good you were doing, I just knew I had to be here with you to thank you in person, because you guys, all together, made exactly what I wanted from the day. You showed that one person, multiplied by many people, make such a huge difference,” Dravland said. “I also wanted to tell you, you don’t have to wait to make a difference. You’re making a difference every single day. Look at what a difference you just made to The Room at the Inn and the Warming Center … you can do it every single day. Yes, I created one day to do it … but you can do it everyday. No matter how little you are or how big you are, or what you have in your toolbox, you can do good. And I think, the best thing you can do for each other, is be good to each other.”

Dravland was grateful for the support of the school.

“I’m just here to thank you, I think you’re all amazing and you make me believe in everything that I did to create this day,” she said.

At the assembly, the students also got to see firsthand how big of a difference they were able to make in their community over just the past few days.

Over the past week, the school has been collecting “Change for Change,” with a large container placed at the school for students to donate their change to the Warming Shelter and Room at the Inn.

“When you have lots and lots of (pennies), they can make a huge difference” Tom Morrison, third grade teacher at Sandy Knoll said.

Morrison said that when he went took the jug with the change the bank the night before, there was 35 pounds of change in the jug — totaling $365. However, the number is hardly final, as the donations kept coming in.

“I went to the bank with that jug and then I came back to school today, and there was way more already back in that jug,” he said.

Attendees were impressed by how quickly the change had added up — a true testament to how many small acts of goodness can combine to make a big difference.

“It wasn’t a competition, people just brought in what they could, what they wanted to and that’s what added up to that 365-plus dollars,” Nancy Usialito, third grade teacher at Sandy Knoll said.

Students were proud to present a check to Doug Russell, executive director of Room at the Inn and the Warming Shelter for the amount that they had raised.

“This is so wonderful, thank you so much for your spreading goodness to Room at the Inn, so we can help those people in our community who don’t have what we have and need our help, “ Russell said. “That’s what I get to do every day, spread a little goodness that way, but this donation today, will make a big impact in an awful lot of peoples’ lives, because of your spreading goodness.”

In addition to the check, students presented Russell with some more fun surprises for the agency that will be sure to brighten many days — a large number of cheerful placemats, handmade with care by Sandy Knoll students of all ages, as well as a case of Girl Scout cookies.

“We wanted to do something else school-wide, so then we decided placemats for the Warming Center and Room at the Inn, so they would have some sunshine, not only today, but down the road too,” said Jodi Miller, third grade teacher at Sandy Knoll.

Students also shared what Spread Goodness Day meant to them at the event, with many noting that they feel everyone can make a difference, regardless of how big or small they are, or what resources they might have available to them.

“I think that everybody should just spread goodness, and not just on Spread Goodness Day, it should be every day,” Amelie DeMarte a third-grade student at Sandy Knoll said.

She said that she would spread goodness by smiling and people and lending a helping hand — she had already helped someone pick up crayons that they had dropped that morning.

Teachers at Sandy Knoll Elementary school said that the students have really gotten the message of Spread Goodness Day — through fundraisers, art projects and simple acts of goodness, it’s clear that the students understood it, as they are “spreading it, living it, talking it,” each day.

At the close of the assembly, it was revealed that Dravland brought a special surprise with her –a box containing hundreds of Spread Goodness Day sunglasses, with a pair for every student. An appropriate surprise, as they’ll definitely need shades for their bright futures.

Cecilia Brown can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 248. Her email address is cbrown@miningjournal .net.

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