For more than 20 years, Roosevelt School’s Parent-Teacher Organization has sponsored a candy drive that helps to raise funds, in order to sponsor an array of events throughout the course of the school year. Events include field trips, DARE graduation and the sixth grade dance.
While the candy drive has been a major success over the years, there was some concern this year, considering that charitable contributions have decreased dramatically since the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.
“People have been giving and giving since 9/11,” Roosevelt School Principal Anthony LaBruno said. “So we were really wondering how the candy sale drive would go this year. We honestly didn’t know.”
LaBruno and the PTO’s fears subsided last week when it was learned that the annual drive collected approximately $10,000 that will enable the children to enjoy the fun activities all year long.
“It is really impressive and amazing that such a small school could raise so much,” LaBruno said. “It shows the commitment that the parents have for our school. It’s a great partnership, and without that partnership, it wouldn’t work.”
Roosevelt PTO President Grace Rodriguez said that the candy drive is organized through the fundraising group QSP/Reader’s Digest, which provides a host of novelty gifts that the school can use as sales incentives.
But the PTO decided to go one step further and honor the top sellers with special prizes — namely a DVD player and a gift certificate to Best Buy.
“We just wanted to do something nice for the kids who sold the most candy,” Rodriguez said. “We wanted to reward the kids who worked the hardest.”
Third-graders Cody Condello and Madeline Gomes were the top sellers. They sold more than $1,000 worth of candy combined.
“My mom, dad and aunt helped me,” Condello said. “I was surprised that I was the winner. I knew about the prize and I was excited that I won. I didn’t think I had a chance to get the DVD player.”
Condello said that he plans to purchase his favorite movie, “Dragon Ball Z” with the gift certificate.
“It feels good to be able to help my class,” Condello said. “I have two sisters and I’ll let them watch the DVDs.”
Now, that’s a good brother.
Gomes said that she already had a DVD player.
“Now I have two,” she said. “I really thought I would win, because everyone in my family helped me. It was a lot of work. I tried to get everybody I knew to buy.”
The school does not permit door-to-door sales, so the sales have to be monitored by the respective parents.
Not only were the top selling individuals treated to prizes, but the classes who sold the most candy were treated to pizza parties, courtesy of the PTO.
Rodriguez said that she was pleased that the candy drive turned out to be a rousing success once again.
“We take a lot of pride in our school and in our children,” Rodriguez said. “Everyone works hard together to make our school a success. I’m very proud of the kids and I appreciate their efforts.”