We’re not surprised that our community is full of people ready and willing to give to a good cause. What is amazing is how young these people can be.

A good case in point is a group of fifth graders at Cascade Ridge Elementary School.

As reported in this issue by staff writer Celeste Gracey, this is the fourth year that the students have raised money to provide food for families in Africa. Their past efforts have been good – about $1,000 to $1,500 was raised each year.

But this year it was different – way different.

The Cascade Ridge area is affluent. With the students setting a goal of raising $2,000, it would have been easy for them to put the arm on mom or dad and have them write a check for such a good cause.

Wisely, school officials had a better idea – the students were encouraged to raise the money themselves. Apparently, that wasn’t even a bump in the road to these kids. They turned in about $5,000 for the feeding program. Even better, they met a goal from an anonymous person, who added $1,000 to the total.

With the food purchased, the students then set to filling 24,000 bags that would be shipped to Africa. There also was money to pay for education and medicine for those receiving the food.

These students did more than raise some money, they taught themselves a lesson, too. We give them an ‘A.’

– Craig Groshart, Issaquah/Sammamish Reporter