This is the second year that students have participated in this project. The goal of the project was to raise awareness about students with allergies and encourage families to offer allergen free choices during Halloween time. The students created a flyer to educate others about the cause. The flyer included information about alternatives to candy and candy that is allergen free. They sent the flyer out to the Columbus Community.

Philip Cantanzo, Gloria Babish, Nathan Falke, and Evelyn Willwerth decided to raise money for the American Red Cross because they were concerned about people affected by Hurricane Dorian. Philip Cantanzano’s family donated gift cards to be raffled at the event. The group raised $99 selling raffle tickets at the Giving Thanks Cultural Event. All proceeds were donated to the American Red Cross.

Jasmine Penaloza-Zavaleta, Nathaly Alas, and Abigail Parlera decided they wanted to make crafts with the community. The group decided to set up a craft table at the Columbus’ Giving Thanks Festival which celebrates diversity. They chose to make Dream Catchers to celebrate Native American Culture.

Eloise Johnson, Amalia Weyant, Naomi, and Nicholas Nascimento decided that they wanted to help their local library by donating books. The group contacted the Friends of Medford Library to see what items they would take. The group created a flyer for a book drive, collected books. At the end, they counted and packaged 487 books, 54 CDs, 7 coloring books, 1 puzzle and 10 DVDs.

Together, the Columbus CCSR leaders all decided that they wanted to help the environment by making sure all the classrooms at Columbus Elementary had a recycling bin. They also educated students about the importance of recycling.