Ridgefield middle schoolers to raise money for Haiti

A group of Ridgefield middle school students is hoping small handfuls of loose change can make a big change in Haiti.

The students are holding a coin drive, dubbed “Small Change is Big Change for Haiti,” Monday through Thursday at View Ridge Middle School, 510 Pioneer St.

Students can contribute pocket change or dollar bills to the jars placed in the front office. All of the money raised will go to the American Red Cross.

The coin drive will also pit seventh-graders against eighth-graders; the winning grade will be announced at a pep assembly Thursday.

The event is being organized by a school group called Rachel’s Challenge. The students in the group work to create a positive environment at the school. When students heard about the destruction caused by the 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Haiti last week, they decided they wanted to do something to help.

“We’ve been hearing a lot about it at our school and saw that they needed money,” eighth-grader Jared Williams said. “So this is one of the programs we thought we could do to help out at our school.”