LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) – The school year is drawing to a close and has come to an end for some students. At the Lexington Christian Academy, fifth graders celebrated an even more special moment on their last day of school. They presented a check to the University of Kentucky Children’s Hospital. Your donation was the result of teaching and hard work that paid off.
“It was really only the entire 5th grade working together,” says LCA 5th grader Jillian Weaver.
Together they presented a check for US $ 1,650 to Kentucky Children’s Hospital, UK. Dr. Lindsay Ragsdale, a pediatrician at the hospital, accompanied the students, teachers and headmasters to hand over the checks in the school’s gym on Thursday.
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“I’m just so grateful. I can’t say enough. Thank you very much,” said Dr. Ragsdale to the class.
The class raised the money by making it themselves.
“I think what this represents is the character and amount of donations this class is willing to make,” says Dr. Ragsdale.
The lessons and hard work began in the classroom. The fifth grade had an entrepreneurship fair where they worked in groups to develop business ideas.
“Well, we came up with Pop-a-Shot. We brought that here,” says Weaver.
“It was a little difficult at first, but when we got it going it was pretty good,” says Kennedy Moughamian, who worked in a group with Weaver.
The ideas ranged from their pop-a-shot business to selling a long-time backpack staple.
“At first we didn’t really know what to do and then I saw some keychains on her backpack and I said, ‘What if we make keychains?'” Says Anna Banks, fifth grader.
Students learned a lot about building a business along the way, how to market their products.
“And to sell that, like many other people, we made posters and put them up at school,” says Rachel Baumgardner, who worked in the key chain business. “I’ve learned that businesses have to make a lot of money and they’re difficult to manage, but it’s also great fun.”
The lessons learned in the classroom stay with these children.
“So we had a test and had to learn the economic definitions,” says Zion Gatewood, fifth grader.
Even more powerful, however, are the lessons learned when they have had the opportunity to give back to their community.
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“The fact that they were willing to sell things, make things, and then return things to Kentucky Children’s Hospital – it’s amazing,” says Dr. Ragsdale. “”
“We felt really good,” says Gatewood.