Water Bottle Wednesdays Recycling Fundraiser a Success
At Niguel Hills Middle School, there is a deceptively quiet fundraiser going on these days. Water Bottle Wednesdays is just one branch of a multi-pronged approach to raising money and saving the environment. In the month and a half during December and January, the students, faculty and community were able to raise over $1000.00 just by collecting cans and plastic bottles. This figure is the culmination of many separate efforts coming together as one.
For the last few years, English Teacher/Teaching Assistant Principal Sharon Miller has been running a “Clean Campus Committee” made up of student volunteers who dedicated their efforts mainly to helping the student body keep Niguel Hills clean. At the same time, Special Education Teacher, Amy Farrier and her class were collecting bottles and cans during lunch to earn money for field trips. There were a few other groups on campus doing the same thing in their classrooms: the Science Club, SRLA, and some individual classes were collecting small amounts to earn funds for individual needs. Then the Booster Club got involved.
Booster Club President Caroline Swift, who is a parent at Niguel, joined Miller and Farrier to unify recycling efforts across the campus. She and Miller contacted city waste management officials to arrange for clear plastic bags, plastic recycle cans, and eventually, a huge recycling container to be delivered to Niguel. The custodians and administrators help make sure the bottles and cans get to the right containers during lunch. Miller’s group organized a regular collection from the classrooms, and along with Swift, instituted Water Bottle Wednesdays, where the community brings its bottles and cans to the school each Wednesday morning. Farrier’s students took on the task of sorting and bagging the loot, getting it ready to be taken to the storage bin. Swift manages the funds collected and distributes money to those groups that help with the collection. Along with being quite a cash windfall ($1000.00 in roughly a month!!), the project has been a great opportunity for our students to help preserve the environment!
