By By Adrienne McKenzie
Next week the public schools of Atmore will be involved in a coin drive for the United Fund.
Children, along with the faculties and staffs, of Rachel Patterson Elementary School, A.C. Moore Elementary School, Huxford Elementary School, Escambia County Middle School and Escambia County High School, will all begin collecting change next week that will be contributed to the United Fund. The changed will be weighed in each day and at the end of the week each school will have a winner.
The principal at each of these schools will determine how the children will be competing, whether it will be grade level vs. grade level, classroom vs. classroom or boys vs. girl, etc. Each school will then decide how to recognize their winner.
Susan Smith, the president of United Fund, believes that this is a great way for children to give back to the community.
"A lot of what kids see going on will impact them for the rest of their lives," Smith said. "Kids are little sponges, we see this coin drive as a way for them to learn how to give back to the community."
Eldred Pritchett, who is in charge of the education unit of United Fund, says that the money will eventually get back to the children who are giving it. All of the money that is raised by this organization stays in the community. Pritchett also said that Billy Hines, the Escambia County Superintendent of Education, was enthusiastic about the coin drive.
"All of this money comes back to our kids in some way or another," Pritchett said. "Mr. Hines was so willing to get involved. He was 100 percent for it."
Smith said that each school is trying to surpass the other schools.
"I heard it through the grape vine that if Escambia County High School does not win, Mr. Ferguson will come dressed up as 'Mrs. Ferguson,'" Smith said.
Smith said that there is no true goal of the drive; just that she hopes everybody will see the need to participate.