'Penny Queens' help charities with $43K donation
Students in the four high school levels at the Affton Catholic girl's high school raised $43,702 in just one week through a variety of annual fund-raising events called Penny Queen 2008.
Cor Jesu students collectively have raised more than $260,000 for local, national and international charities through Penny Queen activities since 2001.The event is called 'Penny Queens' because students collected pennies when the annual fundraising event began more than a decade ago.
The four charities, chosen by a majority vote from 22 applicants by the Student Council, include the school's annual Reynosa, Mexico, trip, during which Cor Jesu students travel to Mexico to help build housing in the small Mexican town, and the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus' mission in Benin, Africa, which provides medicine and supplies to poor families.
The students also are donating money to a trust fund for the educational needs of the children of their volleyball coach, Mary Stahl, whose husband died last year, and a fund established to help pay medical bills for the relative of a classmate.
During Penny Queen Week, held in February, each class hosted a variety of activities, including a donkey ball game, car washes, breakfasts, dinners and lunches, a Hannah Montana and High School Musical trivia night for younger students, bake sales, handmade jewelry sales and raffles.
Representatives from each class spearheaded the week long activities, and the rep whose class raised the most money was named the "Penny Queen" at a dance held Feb. 16.
At an assembly held last week to announce the awards,
Paige Friedman, of Homes for the Homeless, accepted the donation for the Reynosa trip and said as a former Cor Jesu student (Class of '06) she expected nothing less.
"As an alumnus I had pretty high expectations, "Friedman said. "I knew what we raised in a week so I thought they could at least get that. As far as my organization goes, we actually bring the girls down to Reynosa to build the houses, so this means we get to build five houses this year. We go to Mexico from March 24 to March 29, so the girls are giving up their spring break. I think this (the donation) is fabulous, but that comes from Cor Jesu, that idea of service and leadership."
Stahl thanked the girls for their kindness.
"Thank you so much for nominating our family and raising so much money," she said. "You young ladies are just amazing, I can't believe it. I can't really express how overwhelming it is, all the love and support and prayers that you have showered on our family."
Penny Queen for the Senior class was Gretchen Mueller, whose class raised $19,136; Junior Penny Queen was Ellen Hermann, whose class raised $6,533. The Sophomore Penny Queen was Allie Faust, whose class raised $10,992, while the freshman Penny Queen was Annie Morris, whose class raised $5,027.
