The SAGE Club advised by Mrs. Richeson held its annual Penny Wars fundraiser to raise money for TASOW from April 23-27. This year, Mr. Campagna’s first period class won the competition. Altogether, the school fundraised $337.72 to donate to TASOW.

To win the Penny Wars, students from each first period class competed to have the most points at the end of the week. A penny is worth one point, a dime is ten points, a quarter is twenty-five points. All paper money deducts points; for example, a dollar bill deducts 100 points, and a five dollar bill deducts 500 points.

Mr. Campagna’s class won the competition with a total of 7024 points, and the class raised $82.24. The class only earned 7024 points due to other classes sabotaging his points by placing paper money in his container.

According to Mrs Richeson, the point of the Penny Wars is to have a friendly competition between students and teachers while also raising money for an environmental organization. The winning classroom last year was the Chorus room. They earned popsicles and a plaque.

TASOW stands for The Awesome Spirit Of Wildlife. It is a local group founded by Alex Petridis that began from a previous group of Slippery Rock High School students. They rescue animals, help rehabilitate animals in need, and then share them with others to educate individuals about wildlife. Their mission statement is “To help communities create a sustainable future for all living things through education, biodiversity preservation, and a culture of appreciation for the natural world.”

Junior Emily Tasker has been a part of SAGE for one year and plans on doing it next year. She says she loves SAGE because she can make an impact of other students and the environmental aspects. She states, “I love recycling and reptiles.”

Club adviser Mrs. Richeson explains that she hopes to see the club grow in future years. She would like more students to participate so that the club can make a greater impact in the community.