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Clear skies. Low 59F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.

LYONS — After learning about the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Lyons Elementary School students felt compelled to help out and wanted to raise money to support Ukrainian humanitarian crisis relief efforts.

Eric Lewis, a sixth- grade teacher at Lyons Elementary, headed up the effort and helped assemble a fundraising competition within the district — one that would ultimately lead the district to raise more than $6,600 in about two weeks.

The fundraiser, called “The Penny Wars,” encouraged students to bring in coins that earned points in a competition among the grade levels. Each grade had its own container, and pennies earned one point each. Silver coins were worth negative points, so placing nickels, dimes and quarters into other grades’ containers would reduce their overall score.

Having a tangible solution — something they could actually do to help — made some Lyons students feel pride and responsibility in their chance to take part.

Liam, a sixth-grade student, said he knew from the day the Penny Wars were announced that he was going to participate.

“I thought it was really cool because Ukraine really needs money to be helped for the war going on,” Liam said. “The first day after school I asked my mom if I could bring in money and I emptied my piggy bank to bring it to school so I could help because Ukraine really needs it.”

Lyons Elementary students had already had pen pals from Ukrainian schools and participated in video calls with classes their age, Lewis said. During the Russian invasion in 2014, Lyons students worked with UNICEF to send Ukrainian students from front-line villages to summer camps in safer cities in the western part of the country.

The district’s efforts have already begun to help people in Ukraine, Lewis said. In a subway station in Kharkiv — a large Ukrainian city close to the Russian border and the target of recent bombing — people received more than 5,500 meals provided by the Lyons Central School District. It costs about $400 to serve 2,000 meals, Lewis explained.

“One of the big takeaways is how nice it is that a small elementary school and high school in a small, rural town in Upstate New York is able to make such a big impact on an issue so far away,” Lewis said. “It speaks volumes to the character of both the students and the community that they were so generous.”

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