Lisa Pieta's fifth and sixth grade students take pies in the face to help raise money for new equipment for the hospital. May 17, 2018. (Photo by Greg Higgins)Lisa Pieta's fifth and sixth grade students take pies in the face to help raise money for new equipment for the hospital. May 17, 2018. (Photo by Greg Higgins)
Chatham

Students Take One For The Team To Help Hospital

Local school students took part in snow cones, a candy hunt and some even got pies in the face, all in an effort to raise money for a great cause.

Lisa Pieta's Grade 6 and 7 class at Tecumseh Public School in Chatham has been raising funds since last November to help the Foundation of Chatham-Kent Health Alliance’s $6.9-million Diagnostic Imaging Equipment Renewal Campaign.

Pieta said over the months, students have held hot dog days and sold popcorn in an effort to raise funds, but Thursday was the big finale and check presentation of $2,219 to the hospital foundation.

The teacher was thrilled with the work her students put into the fundraising.

"I am so proud of them and they know that," Pieta said. "They have stepped up and sacrificed so much. They have skipped recess breaks and some even stayed after school to help me crunch the numbers and make sure everyone was accounted for. They have just been amazing."

Pieta said her class didn't set a goal for how much they wanted to raise, because they were able to learn lessons that simply can't be taught in the classroom.

"You can teach the steps of problem-solving, but actually going through that process is huge and it's meaningful," she said. "They're not going to remember a conversation around a round table, but they're going to remember having four kids come up to them and say 'I didn't get my hot dog' and how to problem solve that."

According to Pieta, the idea for the fundraiser was sparked when the kids were learning about the human body and how CT scans worked by someone from the hospital. The class was shown how the new equipment they wanted would be more efficient and decided to raise money to help out.

The big finale on Thursday included a school-wide candy hunt and a raffle. Pieta said she would love to make this an annual event, but added the school will take a wait and see approach.

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