The Indiana Association of Student Councils (IASC) recently named Akron Elementary School the top giving elementary school in the state when it comes to raising money for the Riley Children’s Foundation.

The IASC and Riley recognize the top three giving member schools in all three divisions each year with a gold, silver and bronze banner. The recognition is based upon total dollars given and divided by the school’s population to determine the per-student donation.

Students at Akron Elementary School had a successful campaign for two weeks in March to raise money for the Riley Children’s Foundation. The goal was to collect $2,000, but the school ended up raising $2,589.55 – a per-student donation of $7.27.

Beginning March 13 through March 24, students took part in several activities to raise money. The school held special days in which staff and students could donate money to wear hats or sunglasses, or use electronic devices for a certain amount of time in class.

“I’m very proud of what they were able to accomplish. These kids work hard at it every year,” said Akron Elementary School Principal Chrissy Mills.

A large portion of the fundraising total came from a penny drive. Students brought in money to vote on the teacher they wanted to see get hit in the face with a pie at the end of the campaign. Pennies were counted as one vote, but other coins and bills took votes away to make it more competitive.

“A lot of kids that took part in the penny challenge were Riley kids themselves. It was neat to see them give back to an organization that had given to them,” said Mills.

During the 2016-2017 school year, Indiana schools participating in the Riley Kids Caring & Sharing Program raised $676,212.91 – the largest amount ever, according to the IASC.

Akron Elementary School has been raising money for the Riley Children’s Foundation for at least 20 years. The school also recently received the status of IASC 2016-2017 Honor Council. The award recognizes student councils that consistently provide quality leadership activities and service to their schools and communities.

The IASC’s 2016-2017 top giving schools for the 2016-2017 school year are:

Gold

Mater Dei HS (Evansville) – $60.87/student

Attica Junior High School (Attica) – $13.46/student

Akron Elementary School (Akron) – $7.27/per student

Silver

Yorktown HS (Yorktown) – $35.19/student

Pioneer Junior High School (Royal Center) – $8.24/student

Attica Elementary School (Attica) – $7.24/student

Bronze

Concord High School (Elkhart) – $24.20/student

Huntington Catholic School (Huntington) – $6.26/student

Pine Village Elementary School (Pine Village) – $5.58/student