Guilds’ School penny drive a success

The annual Kids for Kids penny drive for Spokane Guilds’ School collected $66,000, about $5,000 more than last year, to help disabled children.

More than 700 volunteers helped with the April 28 drive, many of them collecting coins from motorists at intersections across the region. “We had a phenomenal penny drive” to help some 200 young children with disabilities, said Trina Schmid, events manager for the school.

The 14 drop sites collected more than 7 tons of pennies and other coins, along with checks and some paper bills.

Volunteers measured and put pennies into bundles weighing 29.32 pounds each. Each bundle holds $50 in pennies.

Entertainment at drop sites included students of the Dance Emporium in Spokane Valley, who performed dance routines all day. Miss Teen Spokane and Miss Spokane were at the Wheatland Bank site on U.S. Highway 2.

During the Freedom Riders of Spokane’s Pennies for Kids motorcycle fun run, a 12-year-old Guilds’ School alumna celebrated her birthday by riding with her grandfather on his motorcycle. The fun run brought in $500.

The drop site at Rogers High School recorded the biggest increase in donations from last year. It pulled in 766 pounds of coins – up from 260 last year – and $892 in paper bills and checks.

Rosauers Supermarkets gave $1 from each sale of selected bottles of wine, for a total of $2,500.

Schmid said there were many stories of generosity, such as a little girl who mowed lawns and shoveled driveways and donated $289. Her sister is a school alumna. Schmid said donors expect nothing in return and just want to help.

“That’s one of those lessons you can’t teach,” she said.

Some of the disorders the school treats are Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, hearing and visual impairments, spina bifida, muscular dystrophy and traumatic brain injuries.

No child between birth and age 3 is turned down because of inability to pay, so fundraisers are crucial for the school.

This year’s penny drive poster child, Hailey, was born five weeks premature, along with her twin sister, Payton. They weighed 4 pounds, 15 ounces and had only a 50 percent chance of surviving.

Payton’s condition improved, but Hailey’s complications degenerated overnight. She had respiratory distress syndrome and needed seven surgeries just to breathe. She still needs a gastrotomy tube to eat.

After two years at the Guilds’ School, she can speak more than 25 words and began walking when she was 22 months old.

“This place does make a huge difference,” Schmid said.