Student raising funds for elementary school library
An elementary student in Cape Coral plans on raising $500 for the media center at Hector A. Cafferata Elementary.
Schools in Lee County are facing tough economic times with the district bracing for millions of dollars less in funding, and one student is looking to make a difference.
Ten-year-old Victoria Garcia, recognized as a Carson Scholar, announced last week that she wants to raise the funds for the library to add new books.
“I want to raise money because there aren’t a lot of books there and I like to read. They have about 200 maybe. Most of them I’ve already read,” she said.
For months Garcia had been bringing books from her personal collection and donating them to the library.
Her grandfather, Willie Mac, said Garcia is a voracious reader and is often found at the library checking out books.
“She decided the library didn’t have a big enough selection, so she started donating her own to the library,” said Mac. “We didn’t know about this until last week.”
Garcia was being recognized on the school’s morning announcements for winning the $1,000 Carson Scholarship when she announced her plan to raise $500 for the library. She also challenged Principal Donnie Hopper by asking to throw a pie in his face upon achieving her goal.
While Hopper agreed to Garcia’s terms, he stipulated that if she did not raise the money, he would be able to do the same to her. The challenge between the two is exactly the motivation Garcia needs to raise all of the necessary funds, said Mac.
So far students and faculty around the school have been donating pennies, dimes and quarters. Garcia and her family continue to brainstorm fund-raising ideas.
“I have been collecting from teachers, bus drivers, students and everyone,” she said. “I really want to throw a pie in (Hopper’s) face and get $500 for the library.”
As a recipient of the Carson Scholarship, Garcia has to regularly assist the community. Last year she donated a substantial portion of her hair to Locks of Love, a nonprofit that provides specialized wigs for people who lose their hair because of cancer treatment or for other medical reasons.
Mac explained that the Foundation for Lee County Public Schools is ecstatic with Garcia’s idea to raise money for new books. It decided to contribute an additional $250 if she reaches her goal.
The fund-raising project deadlines at the end of the school year, said Mac. The foundation will ask business partners and sponsors if they want to contribute.
“They are very excited with that, and they’ll send out a flier to all of their sponsors,” he said.