Instead of the routine candy sale, the Parent Teacher Association and students at the Lincoln School in North Bergen have been raising funds this year by helping the environment through the sale of energy efficient light bulbs.
PTA President Rekha Davé said that they are working with a relatively new company called Green Market Fundraising, which sells compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs for fundraising in schools. The light bulbs are subsidized by the New Jersey Department of Energy.
Davé was able to bring the sale, plus a lecture on the environment, to an assembly at the school during the week of Earth Day last week.
Lincoln School’s PTA will receive 50 percent of the money raised from the sale, and Green Market Fundraising will keep the rest.
Students who sell more than 120 light bulbs will receive an iPod Shuffle, while students who sell 80 or more will receive a $25 gift certificate.
“Even if the parents only buy one light bulb, it makes a difference,” said Davé. “[The students] know that they can do something.”
Even in a troubled economy, everyone still needs light bulbs. For this reason, Davé hopes to reach out to businesses in the community as well.
Students learn why
A representative of Green Market Fundraising came to Lincoln School on April 20 to teach students why purchasing a CFL light bulb helps the environment.
He explained how greenhouse gases and other forms of pollution generated through burning coal could be minimized by reducing, recycling, and reusing. He told them that CFLs use less energy to generate the same amount of light that a normal incandescent light bulb produces, thus lessening the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere.
He told students that if we did not reduce greenhouse gases, oceans would rise, endangered wildlife would be lost, and their own lives would be changed for the worse.
“Polar bears are going to die, penguins are going to die, and the earth with them,” said Uoise Duenes, a student in fourth grade.
Duenes said that he thought global warming was a big issue, and that he thinks the PTA sale will be successful. He planned on selling at least 100 light bulbs, maybe more.
“It would be good for the environment to get at least a little bit of respect.” – Student Uoise Duenes
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“I think it’s pretty good that the kids will get prizes and they will help the environment at the same time,” said Duenes. “It would be good for the environment to get at least a little bit of respect.”
Art with a message
Davé said that she hopes the fundraiser makes students more environmentally aware.
Along with organizing the assembly and sale for students, she also picked up 1,000 brown paper bags from the ShopRite at Columbia Park, 3147 Kennedy Blvd., North Bergen.
Students have decorated the bags with environment messages and images.
Davé brought the bags back to ShopRite, and now when costumers receive their groceries they will be reminded of their impact on the earth.
Tricia Tirella may be reached at TriciaT@hudsonreporter.com.