Coins raise OCW donation total

Coins raise OCW donation total

Fundraising for and donating to The American Legion’s Operation Comfort Warrior program is an ongoing effort for Legion Family members. The following two OCW stories show how change can add up quickly.

American Legion Post 57 of Grandview, Wash., collected a total of 304,701 pennies for OCW as part of its penny-a-day fundraiser in February. "We thought asking people for a few pennies rather than larger cash donations might help raise larger amounts," said Jim Davidson, Post 57 adjutant. "I kept the coin machine at the bank very busy during the month."

The post also challenged the local schools to help, and Davidson would stop by the schools each week to pick up the donations.

"This far exceeded what we hoped to collect," said Robert Gates, Post 57 commander. "We hoped for a $500 response for the month, but had that before the actual campaign began on Feb. 1."

The post sent a check for $3,047.01 to The American Legion National Headquarters.

Meanwhile, students at Oak Hill Middle School in Sabattus, Maine, organized a fundraising drive for OCW and collected more than $400. The students decorated and distributed empty yogurt containers to every classroom and then gathered them up and counted all the coins collected

And on Feb. 15, during a ceremony at the middle school, student Chris Campbell presented Ron Caron of American Legion Sabattus Post 135 with a check for $439.24.

"The staff and students at Oak Hill Middle School are humbled and honored to be a part of such a worthy charity, which seeks to give back to those who give so much of themselves for others," said Aimée N. Lanteigne, teacher at Sabattus Middle School.