Students from Mountain View Middle School learned a penny can go a long way through their participation in a fundraiser for patients who suffer from leukemia and lymphoma.

For three weeks the school collected pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters and raised more than $400 for the Pennies for Patients organization, which helps with funding for scientific research through the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Student Council Advisor Kathy Cook said students were excited and motivated to participate in the cause.

“Student Council thought it would be a beneficial fund to participate in,” said Cook.  “With only 211 students on our campus we collected over 28,000 pennies for these patients which amounted to $438.  I couldn’t be more proud of the students for their hard work.”

Mountain View’s donations will help patients from the Salida and Elk Grove area who are currently struggling with leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma.

“They send us a profile of all the patients we would be helping through our donations and collaborations,” Cook said.

Since 1994, millions of dollars have been raised in pennies by more than 10 million schools throughout the nation.  The funds benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, the world’s largest voluntary health agency dedicated to the funding of treatments of blood cancers.

“It took me hours to put all the coins through the machine,” joked Cook.  “In the end, it was all worthwhile.”