Show NJ Pride and Help Storm Relief Projects

Students at Auten Road Intermediate School hope to spot their bright blue "Proud to be from NJ" wristbands on wrists everywhere soon—several school clubs are selling the wristbands to raise money for several non-profits and groups working with victims of Hurricane Sandy.

The project is one of a number of similar efforts underway in Hillsborough schools to help Hurricane victims —and struggling families everywhere— rebuild their lives.

Money raised from the $3 wristbands will benefit the Red Cross, Hillsborough Food Pantry, the Hillsborough Township Public Schools Philanthropic Fund, and Seer Farms, Inc., a non-profit animal shelter in Jackson, which provides emergency care for animals of families that have endured a natural disaster.

The school has also partnered with Union Beach School District in Union Beach, with students collecting gently used school supplies from Nov. 26-30 to send to the Union Beach students. 

Other projects in the schools include:

• Triangle Elementary School has paired with a few schools throughout New Jersey who sustained damage from the storm. This year, Triangle School will celebrate its 50th anniversary and on the 50th day of school students will be selling pretzels with all of the proceeds going to help the students of Ventnor Elementary School. The second graders are also doing a coin collection in the cafeteria to help raise money.
• Triangle is also doing a school supplies collection for Keyport Central School and Drum Point Road School in Brick. Each grade level has a selection of school supplies assigned to them for donation so that all different types of supplies are covered. Triangle, which holds a packing day for the troops every year, will be holding a backpacking day this year to pack all of the supplies they have gathered. They will pack everything in backpacks with personal letters from Triangle students and send them to the schools.
• Woods Road School is doing a penny drive to raise money to help families affected by the storm. All money raised will be donated to the Red Cross.
• And Hillsborough Elementary School has started a project called "HES SHOREly Wants to Help"—students will be collecting items until winter break to help rebuild the Jersey Shore. Items that are collected will be sent to various parts of the shore that are in need. HES has also "adopted" the Oceanport School, which has taken in students from Monmouth Beach and Sea Bright. Items will be sent to them as well. 

Donations for any of the projects will be happily accepted—contact the school office to arrange any donations.

Submitted by Kia Bergman