MHS Pennies for Peace project in its final stage

Jaime Diaz, teacher Russell Evans, Diamond Clarin, and Sakib Hossain
point to a donation for $440.91 for Pennies for Peace.

Montrose High School students have completed several parts of their 2010 Pennies for Peace project, with just one more major fundraising event left for the school year.

On Friday, May 14, all the Pennies for Peace collection jars were collected, taken to Alpine Bank, and the money was counted.  A total of $440.91 was raised during this part of the project.  Earlier, the Student Council donated approximately $250.00, and still to come is a fundraising concert featuring local bands at Turn of the Century on May 28.

A team of students has been visiting classrooms to talk about their personal reasons for supporting Central Asia Institute's efforts to build and support schools in remote regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan.  In late April, five teachers at Montrose High School conducted their classes outdoors on a cold, feels-like-winter day, sitting on the ground, without computers, without whiteboards, and some without pencils or books. Spanish teacher Russell Evans summed up the experience as being "really miserable - so it was great!"  Billed as a “Day in the Dirt,” the unusual setting was originally suggested by teacher Russell Evans as a way to help students understand the educational conditions described in Greg Mortenson’s best-selling book, Three Cups of Tea.

Altrusa's International Relations committee is donating an additional $500 to Pennies for Peace. Altrusans, along with several representatives from the high school project, plan to present the total donation to Greg Mortenson in person over Memorial Day weekend in Telluride.

A portion of the monies raised by MHS will be donated for purchasing school supplies for local Montrose students in need next Fall.  Altrusa has been asked to assist with organizing this portion of the project, since we have often donated school supplies for area children in the past.