Tartan BPA Raises $3,495 for Pennies for Patients

Tartan students cleaned  out their car cup holders and opened up their hearts last week. Tartan’s Business Professionals of America (BPA) students organized their annual Pennies for Patients campaign from February 3rd – 7th to raise money and awareness for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, which provides support for families, patients and research for blood cancers.  

Tartan BPA arranged for milk jugs, donated by Dean Foods in Woodbury, to be placed in each 4th Hour classroom and created a contest between classes.  The BPA students collected the change each day, counted it and took the money to the bank each afternoon.  BPA students Cheng Mor Vang, Feng Thao and Cheethum Yang became familiar faces at Western Bank, who volunteered their coin counting machine daily.

Tartan BPA members set the strategy of the week-long class competition.  The competition began right away with 4th hour classrooms vying for a spot in the Top 3.  Mr. Hansen’s class (social studies), who had won 5 of the last 6 years was vulnerable due to a small 4th hour class.  Mrs. Villegas’ class (English) wanted to improve on their 2nd place finish from last year, and Mrs. Hei (Chemistry) upped the ante the last day of the competition by going to the bank to get $200 worth of pennies which filled 2/3’s of a 5-gallon bucket!  On-line donations added over $600 to the total!  In the end, Mrs. Villegas’ class ended up donating $520 – good for first place!  Ms. Shifsky’s (Social Studies) class was second with $510 and Mrs. Hei’s class was third raising $308. By the time the campaign ended $3495.56 was raised.  Last year, Tartan was the #1 high school in MN for this fundraiser.

Mrs. Villegas’ class will be treated to a cookies and milk party hosted by the Tartan BPA students.  The BPA students run a fresh baked cookie business at Tartan, so the cookies will be served warm from the oven.