Waitsburg Kids Raise Money For D.C. Trip

WAITSBURG - Cans for a penny drive and other fundraisers are popping up around Waitsburg for the Preston Hall students who are trying to pay their way to Washington, D.C.

Teacher Maddie Mar­tin said right now she has three kids and three adults who have signed up to raise $2,000 a piece to travel to the East Coast to learn more about the country's history next spring. The group will leave on the trip June 18-22.

The $2,000 covers airfare, room and board and the tours the group will take part of. The tour group will spend two days in Jamestown, Va., and Williamsburg, Va. After taking in the country's very early history, they will travel up to Washington, D.C., Martin said.

The trip will be a guided tour and students can even earn high school credit, she said. Because the group is typically for middle school students, Martin said the trip is "more to see everything."

Talk of the trip began be­fore school broke for summer last spring and a parent meet­ing was held early on in this school year.

Because everyone who wants to travel to the East has to pay their own way, the kids and parents are coming up with creative fundraisers, she said.

One student has used the social media website face­book to contact friends and family asking for donations.

"He almost has his trip paid for," Martin said with a chuckle.

Students have also talked about raffling off blankets and running a penny drive in the community. Martin said it's not appropriate for the students to be fundraising during school hours, but they are also looking into whether they could work the conces­sions stand for high school sports events to make some money.

Martin said not many fam­ilies are interested because the $2,000 can be a major financial burden for local parents who are feeling the effects of a poor economy.

"This is a tough time for a lot of people," she said.

Signing up for the trip requires a deposit of a couple hundred dollars.

A teacher always goes with the group and Russ Knopp chaperoned before retiring last spring. This is Martin's first time to travel with the group, but it's not her first time to the East. She recently traveled to Ar­lington National Cemetery and Williamsburg, so she is thrilled to return and to help the students experience the country's history.

"I thought it would be fun," Martin said. "I'm really excited to show the kids."

For parents and students who are interested in joining the group on the trip, they can contact Martin at Preston Hall at 509-337-9474. She stressed that there are scholarships available for families who make less than $85,000 a year. The scholarships given can be up to $250 or $300, she said.

"There's a lot of money available," Martin added.