Fifth Graders Support Veterans through Candy Bar Sales

A group of fifth graders felt called to raise and donate money to the Operation TBI Freedom (OTF) program after completing an assignment for a class project. The Eugene Field Elementary International Baccalaureate School hosts a yearly exhibition for the fifth grade class to present research projects on topics of their choice, based on a theme. This year’s exhibition theme was “Peace.” The students picked the topic of “Violence in the Iraq War” to study and present at this year’s exhibition. The students learned that many Colorado soldiers suffer from traumatic brain injuries (TBI) as a result of their service in the war.

“We found your organization on the internet, read some of the stories of individual soldiers and decided to raise some money to help them,” explained classroom mentor, Barbara Trenholme. OTF is a statewide program that connects veterans with TBI to services and resources that help them manage their injuries and transition back to civilian life. Trenholme and the students sold chocolate bars at their local King Soopers in Littleton to raise money for OTF.  Through their candy bar sales, the students were able to raise $400 to donate to the program. “We know that [the money] will be going to a good cause,” said Trenholme. OTF donations support such services as cognitive therapy or other therapeutic treatments, housing assistance and purchasing organizational aids to keep track of medical appointments.

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