Sixth grade students in Kim Tallmadge’s class recently held a fund drive to help send children who have been burned in fires to a social-well being summer camp that is designed to help speed their recovery. The fundraiser was inspired by the Fire Fighter’s Tug of War being held this Sunday on the Green Island Bridge.

“I heard about the fireman’s tug on the radio and when I heard that the funds were going to help support burn victims – especially children – I knew we had to get involved,” said Kim Tallmadge, a sixth grade teacher at Watervliet Elementary School. “I mentioned it to my students and they were all for it.”

“We feel really bad for these kids and want to help give them a chance to go to camp like any other kid,” said sixth grader Alexis Zakrzewski.

During the week of October 1- 5, an envelope was provided to each classroom to gather the donations. At the end of the day, sixth grade students went around the building to collect the donations in fire hats.

Sixth grade teacher Kim Tallmadge, center, poses with students Alexis Zakrzewski and Samantha Senich, who are wearing the fire hats they used to collect money for the “Funds for Fire Victims” fundraiser .

Everyone in the building has gotten into the spirit of the event, from kindergarteners bringing in bags of pennies from their piggy banks, to a group of sixth graders who opened a lemonade stand and donated all of their proceeds. The organizers set a goal of $500 and they collected over $550 by the end of the fund drive.

“We made posters to hang around the building to remind everyone to participate,” said sixth grader Samantha Senich. “These are kids our age, so we really want to help them.”

Mrs. Tallmadge and many of the students who participated attended the Fire Fighters Tug event on Sunday to present their donation in person
Additional information on the Fireman’s Tug can be found at firetug.com

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