Clear Lake Elementary students dressed up as their favorite literary characters last week as part of March is Reading Month and to raise money for kids in Afghanistan.
The students raised approximately $71 to purchase school supplies for their Afghan counterparts.
Fifth-grader Madison McClear spearheaded the fund-raiser after learning about what Afghan schools are like from her Oxford Lakes neighbor, Stephen West, a major in the United States Marine Corps.
West, who’s been stationed in the Afghan capital of Kabul since October 2009, has been exchanging e-mails with McClear.
McClear was curious about what the schools are like over there, so West wrote her about them and shared some photographs.
Seeing how sparse the Afghan school was compared to Clear Lake motivated McClear to pitch the idea of using the school’s next Spirit Day as a fund-raiser.
‘It just makes me sad that they don’t have a lot of things like we do,? she said. ‘I wanted to do this from our school to them.?
Another Spirit Day to raise more money for school supplies will be held later in the school year.
Even though they didn’t raise as much money as they’d hoped, Madison’s mother, Molly McClear, had nothing but praise for her compassionate daughter.
‘I am extremely proud that she sees beyond what she has and wants to help children she doesn’t even know half way around the world,? she said.
? Editor C.J. Carnacchio