James A. Dever Elementary School held an inflatable race organized by the Parent-Teacher Association to thank students, families and staff and to celebrate the success of this year’s Raise Craze fundraiser.
Students, school principal Darren Gruen, teachers, faculty, superintendents and PTA members participated in the race, wearing inflatable costumes and gathering for a light-hearted event ahead of Thanksgiving.
The school completed its second year with Raise Craze, a fundraising model in which students earn donations by performing acts of kindness rather than selling products. The program was introduced to the school by former PTA Co-Presidents Rosina Fusillo and Samanta Shaw, in collaboration with the school social worker, to align fundraising efforts with the “Kindness Matters” program.
Students reached out to family and friends for support and then completed various community-oriented actions. These included writing thank-you notes, assisting neighbors, contributing to school beautification efforts, participating in letter-writing campaigns for first responders and sanitation workers, collecting items for a food drive and assembling care packages for hospital staff. Participation was encouraged through daily kindness challenges, and a rotating trophy recognized classes that completed the highest number of acts.
An Acts of Service Night on Oct. 21 in the school gym offered additional opportunities for students to take part in on-site community activities such as creating cards for local organizations and decorating outdoor walkways.
Raise Craze retains over 90 percent of contributions for the school. Dever reached its $20,000 fundraising goal, with funds directed toward projects that enhance the school environment and educational programming.
