By CARL E. FEATHER - Staff Writer - cfeather@starbeacon.com
KINGSVILLE ELEMENTARY — Members of the Kingsville Elementary School Student Council surprised the family of fifth-grader Dylan Christian Monday morning with a check for $2,096.41.
Dylan has battled cancer much of his life, said Nick Orlando, principal. He enrolled in Kingsville last year and was able to complete fourth grade. However, Dylan has been hospitalized during much of this school year and is being tutored at home and in the hospital.
His family’s financial need was brought to the attention of the school by a district Title I tutor who works with Dylan at his home. Student council members and their adviser/ sixth-grade teacher Jana Neczeporenko decided to adopt the cause.
Neczeporenko said the school has held a change drive for several years and used the money to assist various projects. The student council decided to dedicate this year’s change drive to Dylan. The school collected money from Oct. 19 to 30.
The effort raised about $1,240, more than any change drive the school has sponsored.
“People just opened their hearts for this,” said Neczeporenko. “I could not believe it.”
Student council members Andrea Zuccaro, fifth grade, and Kiel Dickey, sixth grade, say students were dropping $5, $10 and $20 bills in the collection jars, which were also placed during a bake sale that the student council sponsored. Held during conferences Nov. 2 to 5, the bake sale raised $730.
Nick Orlando put the total over the $2,000 mark by donating the money in his Boss Day account.
The total collected was kept a secret until the assembly.
