DIXFIELD — By early afternoon Wednesday, students at Dirigo Middle School had counted and bagged more than 3,000 returnable bottles and cans to raise money for Cans for a Cure.
The school had also received a “Shout-out” from fundraising and sponsoring radio station Q97.9 on air that excited the youngsters.
The money raised at Dirigo and at the Portland radio station, will go toward cancer research in Maine, Principal Celena Ranger said.
Wednesday was the first day of the three-day returnables drive at the school. The students, garbed in blue plastic gloves, were sixth-graders. Each classroom staffed the table outside the school entrance for about an hour. All sorted and packed returnables were placed in a livestock trailer loaned by Brenda Gammon of Peru.
Eighth-graders will staff, count and store bottles that arrive Thursday, and seventh-graders will do the same Friday.
Residents may drop off returnables from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday and 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday.
Ranger said she got the idea when she was listening to the Portland station and a woman spoke about her sister who had just had a double mastectomy. The woman asked about holding a Cans for a Cure fundraiser at a remote site. Ranger thought the fundraising drive would be a good thing for her students.
“This is a great opportunity for the kids to give back,” she said.
The goal is to collect 6,000 returnables. If community members want to donate money instead, that is welcome, too.
Ranger said a dance will be held Friday night with all proceeds going to Cans for a Cure.
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- Bob Staples’ sixth-grade class at Dirigo Middle School sorted and bagged returnables Wednesday for Cans for a Cure. Money will go toward cancer research.
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- Dirigo Middle School sixth-grader Franklin McDonald checks a bottle during the school’s collection drive Wednesday. Money from the Cans for a Cure event will go toward cancer research.
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