Ridgefield, Wash., school kids team with Vancouver-based Nutter

Moved by the plight of victims of Hurricane Katrina, children at South Ridge Elementary School in Ridgefield, Wash., have raised $1,500 to donate to the American Red Cross, a total that will be matched by the Vancouver-based building firm Nutter Corp.

Three South Ridge students, Jacob Carlson, Faith Jones and Andrew Rath, placed an unsolicited call to the firm last week and asked Nutter employees to visit their school and advise them on hurricane response opportunities.

Nutter Corp., surprised by the request, offered to visit the school to meet with the children and pledged to match whatever the students raised.

At a Wednesday celebration, the kids unveiled their earnings - $1,500, much of it collected as change dropped in a 5-gallon plastic jug.

The school had no idea that the kids would take this to the level they had, said South Ridge Principal Vern Yoshioka.

Prior to the celebration, the three children independently researched the efforts of various relief organizations and decided to give what they raised to the Red Cross.

They'll give their $1,500 and the $1,500 from Nutter to the Camas, Wash.-based Lacamas Community Credit Union, which will match $2,000 of the donations for a total of $5,000 pledged to the Red Cross.

Carlson, Jones and Rath plan to send a note along to the Red Cross asking the organization to ensure displaced children from the U.S. Gulf Coast receive adequate education.

Copyright 2005 Dolan Media Newswires
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