From left (back row), Pinewood President Scott Riches, LACF Chairman George Limbach, teacher Sheila Drumm, LACF Executive Director Roy Lave, Principal Gil Brady and some of the Pinewood students who raised $10,000 for the community foundation’s Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund display the presentation check.

Pinewood School students from kindergarten through sixth grade presented a check for $10,000 to Executive Director Roy Lave, Chairman of the Board George Limbach and Executive Assistant Joanne Byrne of the Los Altos Community Foundation Nov. 29. Lave will forward this money to the Baton Rouge Area Community Foundation’s Hurricane Katrina Recovery Fund.

After the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina, principal Gil Brady implemented the “Pennies from the Heart” coin drive. The goal was to find a way for students to help in a direct and meaningful way. They conducted a “coin hunt,” which challenged them to search their homes for loose change they could donate.

Students also raised money by performing chores and sacrificing the purchase of goodies from the lunch line. One kindergartner sold her family’s home-grown tomatoes on her street corner. One fifth-grade student raised $90 by operating a lemonade stand for an entire weekend.

The Los Altos Community Foundation is still accepting donations to its Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund. To donate, contact the Los Altos Community Foundation at 949-5908 or e-mail joanne@losaltoscf.org.

For more information, visit www.losaltoscf.org/LACF

KatrinaFund.html.