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Tiny island elementary school raises thousands of dollars for kids in Ukraine

The 15 students at Long Island School in Casco Bay will be donating the $6,018 they've raised to the humanitarian aid organization Save the Children.

LONG ISLAND, Maine — Every weekday morning, about 15 students ranging from preschool to fifth grade visit the two-room schoolhouse on Long Island. 

The building is a hub for these kids, some of whom travel from Great Diamond Island by ferry to get there. Recently, its walls have opened up some new endeavors.

With construction paper, markers, and hot glue guns, the Long Island School students are on a mission to raise money for their peers thousands of miles away in Ukraine. 

For about a month, they've been making sunflower seed packets and sunflower pins, in honor of the national flower of Ukraine, and taking donations from community members for the items.

"We've been going around, not asking for any specific amount of money," Ari Mooney, a fifth-grader, said. "We've just been asking, 'Can you please make a donation to help Ukraine?'"

RELATED: Former Bangor city councilor shares his story of helping Ukrainian refugees

Teachers Katie Norton and Marci Train said they noticed their students seemed anxious and concerned, coming to class with questions about what was going on overseas. It's why they wanted to help them learn about Russia's invasion of Ukraine with this project.

"War is scary, but I mean, it's also happening," Norton said. "We didn't want to hide it from them."

"They're going to hit fifth grade, and they're going to go to Portland," Train said, explaining that for middle and high school, the students take the ferry to the mainland. 

"They have the big world out there, and they need to know what's going on," Train said.

The students and their teachers have been amazed to see how supportive everyone, from grandparents to summer residents to friends of the islands, has been. So far, they've raised $6,018 in cash, checks, and matching donations.

"Never in my wildest dreams did we think it would get this big," Train said.

"We've had people calling the school wanting to give, saying, 'How do I give? Do you need anything else?'" Norton said.

It's a window into the inspiring things that can happen when people come together for a good cause.

"I think it feels good to help other kids," Cora Whitener, a second-grader, said.

"You know that it can give [kids in Ukraine] hope, and they can get stronger and stuff," Silas Norton, a fifth-grader, said.  

Katie Norton said they'd love to collect more donations from people, but their group is small, so she's afraid they might get overwhelmed. 

She suggested anyone interested donate directly to Save the Children to help kids in Ukraine.

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