Student Donates $150 of Allowance To Cancer Charity

Richie Wright, a fifth grade student at Lake Parsippany Elementary School, scraped and saved his money to buy the next best video game, but ultimately decided to use his money to help one local student battle cancer.

Every year since 2008, Lake Parsippany Elementary School participates in Pennies for Patients, a school youth program available through the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

“Since 1994, millions of dollars have been raised in pennies and other spare change by more than 10 million elementary, middle and high school students throughout the country,” the organization said on its website. “The funds, collected during a three-week period, benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.”

This year, students in Lake Parsippany Elementary collected money for a young boy at Littleton Elementary School in Morris Plains with cancer. The class who raised the most money was promised a free pasta lunch provided by Olive Garden in Rockaway.

The idea of helping someone with cancer hit home for Wright who lost one uncle, John Russo to lung cancer and has another uncle, Ralph Wright, who is a cancer survivor.

One day, when no one was looking, Wright snuck $150 of his own money into the donation jar, to the surprise of his teacher, Sharon Burgess.

“When I found out it was Richie who put in the money I pulled him aside to ask him if he realized just how much money that was,” she said. “He said he did and that he wanted to donate it.”

“Most of it was my allowance but some was from chores and money I got from Christmas,” said Wright. “I was going to buy a new game, but I donated it instead.”

Wright thought his parents were going to be mad that he donated all his money, but instead they were so proud they donated an additional $300.

In total, the class raised more than $600 and won the Olive Garden lunch with spaghetti, breadsticks and salad.

The second highest class raised $400, said Kendra Calabria, Kindergarten Teacher and Student Council Teacher Representative.

The whole school raised $2,700 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society with a portion going to the child at Littleton Elementary School.

“Community outreach is important because this is a disease that affects children, and the fact that we have a sponsor child in the district brings it closer to home,” said Calabria.