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Students raise money for ‘Heavenly Hats’
(by Karen F. Mrnarevic - November 21, 2007)
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STAFF PHOTO BY KAREN F. MRNAREVIC
Emerson Memorial School students celebrated their efforts to raise money for the Heavenly Hats Foundation by holding a hat parade last week.
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On Friday, Nov. 16, the students at the
Emerson
Memorial
School celebrated their efforts to raise money for the Heavenly Hats Foundation by holding a hat parade.
The children hokey-pokeyed, congaed and chicken-danced their way around the school grounds, led by Principal Jennifer Espinoza. They showed off their hats, which ranged from baseball caps to chef’s hats, homemade creations, and even a giant hockey puck, and sang along with music.
The students and teachers of the school had hoped to raise a total of $300 for the organization, which provides hats to medical patients who have lost their hair due to disease or treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation. The school ended up far exceeding its projection, raising $1,137 in total.
The fundraiser and parade were organized by the Character Education Committee, a group of parents, teachers and administrators that organizes curricula and activities to teach children to appreciate one another’s differences and treat their peers with respect. Espinoza says the committee tries to have a theme for each month of the school year, around which Character Education activities are planned. The theme for November and December is “Giving and Sharing.” The children have also been urged to discuss the things for which they are thankful. In the school’s main hallway, a bulletin board announces, “We are thankful for,” and lists the many things the students feel are important to them: parents, books, home, friends.
Governor Jim McGreevey established the New Jersey Character Education Commission in 2001 “to address the State of New Jersey’s compelling interest in helping schools teach students the importance of good character traits such as integrity, fairness, respect and citizenship; create classroom environments that encourage students to respect one another while promoting effective learning; and teach students how to resolve conflicts without resorting to intimidation or violence.” (www.state.nj.us/ education/chared/report.pdf)
Espinoza found out about the Heavenly Hats Foundation through an e-mail campaign asking schools around the country to participate in holding hat parades. The organization asks that, “everyone who was involved in the parade make a donation of just $1 to the Heavenly Hats Foundation, and for this donation they would earn the privilege of wearing their favorite hat at their event” (www.heavenlyhats.com).
Espinoza says, “not all the children wanted to wear hats, but we said, ‘You can still donate.’ A lot of them did that instead of wearing a hat.”
Heavenly Hats was founded in 2001 by Anthony D. Leanna, of
Wisconsin , when he was 10 years old. On the organization’s Web site, Leanna says, "Heavenly Hats wants to be able to provide hats to individuals and hospitals in order to help the patients feel better about themselves and to give them the extra courage and hope to win their fight. Hair loss during the battle of a disease can be uncomfortable, depressing and at times even a little humiliating.”
While Leanna says that the hat is a symbol of “hope and love,” it’s his wish that it will help patients “look to the future with a smile.”
According to Nichol Del Rosso, the Parent Teacher Association’s liaison to the Character Education Committee at
Memorial
School , the children benefit from the activity in many ways. Not only do they learn to tolerate and celebrate people’s differences and the value of helping those less fortunate, but they will also participate in follow-up activities, which will help develop their math skills. “They are keeping a tally of the types of hats that all the kids wore, and are graphing the results,” says Del Rosso.
During the parade, one chicken-dancing teacher took a break from flapping her wings to say, “I can’t believe how much money we were able to raise. The kids should be proud of themselves.”
Karen F. Mrnarevic's e-mail address is Mrnarevic@northjersey.com
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