MERIDIAN, Idaho — To the tune of hundreds chanting 'kiss the pig' in unison, a Hillsdale Elementary School teacher and the designated school resource officer (SRO) paid their debt owed Thursday by raising the most amount of money through the week-long coin drive.
Raiding couch cushions and cleaning out car cup holders, students collected coins to support their peers across the Pacific Ocean impacted by the Maui wildfires. The fires destroyed more than 2,200 buildings and caused $6 billion in damage, according to the University of Hawaii.
"Whatever teacher by the end of the fundraiser had the most coins and votes had to kiss a pig at the farmstead last night," Hillsdale parent Ashlie Lenington said. "One of the teachers who works at Hillsdale used to teach in Maui, and the school that she taught at had been devastated by the wildfires in Maui."
All proceeds from the 'penny war' were donated to families at King Kamehameha III Elementary School in Lahaina. The event host, Lowe Family Farmstead, also donated an additional $1 toward the cause for every student who attended the Thursday night event.
"The pig event was at 7:30 p.m., which is pretty late for school night, but we had fun," Lenington said. "And then, of course, it's a good cause."
Students at King Kamehameha III Elementary are currently taking classes in temporary buildings, according to a Hillsdale Elementary School newsletter. The Maui wildfires are the deadliest in modern American history; Maui County's latest count confirms the fires killed 99 people.
Join 'The 208' conversation:
- Text us at (208) 321-5614
- E-mail us at the208@ktvb.com
- Join our The 208 Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/the208KTVB/
- Follow us on Twitter: @the208KTVB or tweet #the208 and #SoIdaho
- Follow us on Instagram: @the208KTVB
- Bookmark our landing page: /the-208
- Still reading this list? We're on YouTube, too:
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET NEWS FROM KTVB:
Download the KTVB News Mobile App
Apple iOS: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Watch news reports for FREE on YouTube: KTVB YouTube channel
Stream Live for FREE on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching 'KTVB'.
Stream Live for FREE on FIRE TV: Search ‘KTVB’ and click ‘Get’ to download.