LITCHFIELD–Last week the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) students at Litchfield Public Schools held a drive to benefit the March of Dimes organization. Nearly $1,500 was raised–primarily in the form of loose change generously donated by students of even the youngest ages.
KCNI/KBBN spoke with Litchfield FBLA President Katherine Paitz, Reporter Ava Paitz, Treasurer Caydence Feldman, Parliamentarian Kaylee Rohde, and Maylnn Boyles as to why they chose to support March of Dimes and how it hits home for the Paitz family.
“My sister Ava Paitz wanted to chair the committee that set up the fundraiser because of the impact that March of Dimes had on her life,” Katherine Paitz said.
The national FBLA organization teaches about finances, good business practices, and community service and is partnered with 10 nonprofits that local chapters can choose from to support. March of Dimes is a leader in the fight for the health of all moms and babies and was chosen as the beneficiary of this drive at the suggestion of Ava Paitz. When Ava was born three months prematurely, she weighed only two pounds and spent 90 days in the NICU before going home.
According to a press release from Litchfield art teacher Allison Varah, Paitz’s mother Heather Paitz said the March of Dimes held activities for NICU moms and was provided surfactant therapy (developed by March of Dimes) while in labor. The therapy includes a shot that coats the babies’ lungs in case they are born early so that their lungs can breathe outside sooner. She appreciated that they always had lots of information available.
“March of Dimes was so helpful to my family and I when I was a baby. I was born at 26 weeks and spent 90 days in the NICU at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Lincoln. While my mom was in labor March of Dimes developed a surfactant treatment shot that helped improve my underdeveloped lungs. My family will forever be grateful for the March of Dimes charity so it is very cool to see us giving back to them,” Ava Paitz said.
The FBLA students said they hoped to raise a couple hundred dollars and were overjoyed at the generosity of the school.
“After telling the elementary students about this organization they were so excited and proud to be donating their extra change to help save babies’ lives.”
The FBLA students continued by telling KCNI/KBBN, “We never expected this kind of a result from the elementary students. To be honest, we weren’t even going to include them in the coin drive at the start. It was the last second decision so they would feel included. We were hoping to get at the most a couple hundred dollars to donate. They completely exceeded our expectations. In one week they raised over $1,000 and that’s not even counting the junior high and high school’s earnings. Hopefully their excitement about the coin drive continues in the years to come so we can have a tradition to carry on every year in Litchfield.”
Parents and teachers were caught by surprise when the elementary students started turning over their piggy banks to take money to school for the March of Dimes drive.
“As the art teacher at the school I knew about the drive but still paused for a moment when my own 6-year-old Hudson said ‘I just can’t decide, do you think I should give ALL of my money to the poor mama’s and their little babies?'” Mrs. Varah said.
FBLA gave each student a small plastic piggy bank to fill with any loose change with the idea of course that a few loose coins here and there will add up quick. The kids at Litchfield elementary have really given from the heart. Varah said while taking pictures she noticed students bringing in bags with $50 and $20 bills.
Ms. Kaitlin Goff, the FBLA sponsor and business teacher at Litchfield reported that, “For over 50 years FBLA has consistently ranked as the top March of Dimes youth fundraising partner, raising millions of dollars for moms and babies. The March of Dimes is FBLA’s main national charity partner and attends all national and regional FBLA conferences. FBLA generates more than $500,000 annually through March for Babies participation and year-round fundraising.”
Ms. Goff continued by saying, “So this is my first year as an FBLA advisor and I have a really motivated group of kids in FBLA. They love to compete, to be a part of the community, and to do stuff like this March of Dimes coin drive. As a group, we kind of were hoping to maybe get around the $500 mark for the entire school and in the elementary alone they raised over $1,000. That totally blew us away! We weren’t expecting that but the kids have generous hearts and they wanted to give and I think it was a great project for that. As a whole school we raised just under $1,500 so I think that was really great for us to do as a school.”
The Litchfield FBLA chapter will be applying for the Champion Chapter Award and if the club is selected, students will have an opportunity to travel to next year’s national conference in Georgia.
According to the press release, March of Dimes began in 1938 with Franklin D. Roosevelt’s personal struggle with Polio which led to the creation of March of Dimes. Once Polio was eradicated from the U.S. the group shifted its focus to address health threats to moms and babies. With innovation like folic acid, newborn screening and surfactant therapy, March of Dimes continues to make an impact for Mothers and mostly premature babies in need of care.
Allison Varah spoke to several of the Litchfield elementary students about why they wanted to collect and donate money to the coin drive:
“So I could help the kids and the moms when they were sick for the March of Dimes,” fifth grader Jaxon Schulte said. Schulte raised $33 by going door to door in Ansley to collect money for the drive.
“I was thinking I should give all my money to the sick moms and babies. I didn’t want anyone to feel sad or left out that’s why I wanted to give a gift to them,” first grader Hudson Varah said.
Third grade student Huntley Zulkoski said, “I just brought a bunch of money for those kids so they can have a happy life like the other kids.”
Fifth grade student Aubri Corbin said, “It made me really happy. I used up all of my change that my Papa had found around the house. It made me really feel something very deep inside my heart because my aunt was having her baby that week during the March of Dimes. She had a very healthy baby girl whose name is Ella.”
Third grade student Addy Moser said, “It will help them feel better so then they can do things together. I was thinking I want to help people.”
Third grade student Owen Slocum said, “I experienced that a bunch of people needed a lot of stuff for their babies so I thought that I would help out to give them money to help them get stuff.” Slocum said he donated his 4-H money, birthday money, and money from his mom and dad.
