News Article

FSW State College Charlotte Campus Collects 72,400 Pennies for a Cause

Apr 24, 2015

The Florida SouthWestern State College (FSW) Charlotte Campus recently participated in the Dr. Talbot Spivak Holocaust Memorial Week to remember the tragedies that occurred during the Holocaust.  To help honor and remember the lives lost, the Charlotte Campus took part in a month long fundraiser to collect pennies and help contribute to organizations that promote tolerance and fight anti-Semitism and bigotry.  This year the campaign raised $724. 

FSW students and staff participated in our Mission of “Never Forget” during the month of March. During the Holocaust, six million Jews were murdered.  FSW collected pennies at various locations on campus to reach a goal of one hundred thousand pennies.  The overall campaign goal is to eventually collect six million pennies, one for every person lost in the Holocaust.  All money received will be converted to pennies.  Members of the Student Nursing Association donated a total of $548 to the project. 

“This ambitious project was instituted by our student groups and we had penny collection jars in various areas throughout the campus,” said Dr. Christy Gilfert, Charlotte Campus Dean.  “The idea of six million pennies was motivated by the Paper Clips Project that took place in Whitwell, Tennessee in 1998, where students began collecting paper clips to help visualize the number.” 

College Alumni and current Lee County teacher, Jennifer Barr also participated in the campaign.  After teaching a reading lesson on the Holocaust, Barr thought it would be a wonderful connection to the lesson to have her 8th grade students collect pennies and "give a voice to the voiceless" and to honor Holocaust victims.

Florida SouthWestern State College is Southwest Florida’s largest and one of the most affordable institutions of higher education. Annually serving more than 22,000 students globally, FSW offers a variety of nationally-ranked, career-focused academic programs with two- and four-year degrees, and professional certifications. Students are also active in clubs and programs catered to their interests. FSW will debut its intercollegiate athletics program in the fall 2015.

Last Updated: April 24, 2015