Fourth-Grade Fundraiser Raises $3,500 for Holiday Meals

Last holiday season, the 22 students in Sean Fitzgerald’s fourth-grade classroom donated nearly $3,500 to GBFB during their holiday fundraiser.

“It doesn’t matter how much or how little you have,” Sean tells his students at the Murphy K-8 School in Boston. “You all can contribute to a cause you care about.”

The students researched 10 nonprofit organizations in Boston and voted on their favorite, with GBFB emerging as the classroom’s top choice. The students created ornaments and sold them for $5 outside the school’s main office. Over four days, they raised almost $1,700, which was doubled thanks to Stop & Shop’s Hunger Free Holidays match. The project provided an opportunity to practice research, math, technology, art, and cooperation skills, Sean explains.

Last December, the students proudly presented a hand-drawn “check” to a GBFB representative who visited their classroom. It was an empowering experience. “I tell the kids it’s not ‘wait until you become successful until you can give back,’” Sean says. “We have a classroom mindset of ‘service brings success.’”

“If kids can do this, imagine everyone else who has a lot more resources,” he adds. “My students don’t have jobs. They have love, markers, and wood, and they made ornaments.”

Before long, the fourth graders were asking Sean: “What’s our next project?”