Middle Gate Student Finds Support For Joplin

By Eliza Hallabeck

Middle Gate third grade student Olivia Beaudoin wanted to help when she learned of the devastation in Joplin, Mo., following a tornado in the area in late May.

At first she wanted to have a lemonade stand.

“My street isn’t really the place to do that,” said the third grader, noting cars drive too fast down her road to notice a lemonade stand.

She discussed her idea with her mother, Shelley Beaudoin, and later with her school principal, Chris Geissler.

After speaking with Mr Geissler, Olivia said she was given the opportunity to raise funds for Joplin at Middle Gate. With the help of fellow students, Olivia hung posters around the school and put collection jars, made out of recycled plastic cartons, in each of the elementary school’s classrooms.

The collection was closed on Friday, June 17, but Olivia was still adding her own funds, saved from her allowance, to the collection on Monday, June 20.

“I think honestly it will be over $200,” said Olivia.

Ms Beaudoin said Olivia’s siblings, Isaac, Eloise, and Andrew, also helped their older sister with her collection.

“I dreamed we would get that much,” Olivia said on Monday, speaking before her class, “but I didn’t think we would get that much. Turns out, we did.”

Olivia said she could not have accomplished the collection without the help of her classmates. Her class helped count the change collected from around the school on Friday, June 17, as a math assignment, according to Olivia’s teacher Robyn Cologna.

Ms Beaudoin said the family moved from northwest Arkansas in December, and felt a connection to the area when news of the tornado in Joplin was learned.

Once full collected and counted, Ms Beaudoin said the money will be donated to the American Red Cross to help in Joplin.