E-Insight

March 2006

Student Hopes Gift to James L. Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital Will Help Others

At Lincoln Junior High School in Fort Collins, service to community is part of the school's International Baccalaureate curriculum. Students are encouraged to help raise money or donate time and services to the cause of their choice. Zach Kaufman, a ninth grader at Lincoln, had no trouble deciding where to put his efforts - he wanted to raise money for the James L. Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital where his dog Molly had been a patient.

Molly, an Irish setter show dog, suffered from a seizure disorder and died at the age of 10 months. For Zach and his family, the care Molly received and the compassion shown Zach's family left a lasting impression.

"I am very grateful to everyone at the hospital, and am happy to be able to give money to help people save animals and comfort their families," said Zach.

Through the Dollar Project at Lincoln, Zach was able to raise $225 for the Veterinary Teaching Hospital. In the Dollar Project, ninth-grade students are each given one dollar and challenged to turn it into more money to donate to an organization that has special meaning for them. While much of Lincoln 's efforts this year were focused on providing funding to build a Habitat for Humanity home, many students also had their "pet" projects, from animal welfare and environmental concerns, to local child advocacy and senior programs. The Dollar Project was launched last year by Colleen Conrad, who teaches honors ninth grade English at Lincoln, and was expanded this year to the entire ninth grade

"Zach's dog was very important to him and his family, so this project had special meaning for him," said Olivia Pepper, one of Zach's teachers at Lincoln. "I was very impressed to see how, not only Zach, but all of our students worked so hard to raise money to help others."