Presenting the AAUW Pennies for Peace Check
There were gasps of amazement when Sara Hinkel, Chair of the Pennies for Peace Fundraising Campaign in Fremont, Union City and Newark elementary schools and an AAUW member, presented the giant check for over $34,000 to Greg Mortenson at both the afternoon and evening events on March 3, 2009.
The greatest gasp came from Mortenson himself who was floored and so thankful for the contribution.
“Children,” he said, “can move mountains.”
What is so impressive is that the check represents the donations, in pennies, of thousands of children in our area. Three students, each representing a school district, carried the huge check onto the stage and helped present it.
Carolyn Johnson, also an AAUW member, and treasurer of the Pennies for Peace fundraiser, talked about the weight of over three million four hundred thousand pennies.
“One hundred dollars, she said, “is 60 pounds; $1,000 is 600 pounds; $10,000 is 6,000 pounds and $3,000 is 9000 pounds or nine tons! That’s the size of a large elephant,” she said to a laughing audience.