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Students meet for a purpose
Jefferson Academys Mighty Dragons work to improve their community
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Jefferson Academy fifth-graders Alex Wilthman, left, and Kaylee Sikes collect recycling as a service project with the school’s Mighty Dragons community service club. - photo by BRANDEE A. THOMAS

JEFFERSON — Although they have fun getting together with their friends, members of the Jefferson Academy Mighty Dragons club know that they are meeting for a greater purpose than socializing.

The group, which is for fifth-graders only, is a service club.

"We have 70 members, meet once a month and work on around seven projects a year," said Meg Davis, JA school counselor and club adviser.

"Right now, we’re working on Dimes Make a Difference, a fundraiser for Relay for Life. We have 54 water bottles and we’re asking the students to bring in dimes to (their homeroom). Our goal is to fill each of the bottles up; each bottle will hold around $90."

If they are successful, not only will the students have raised nearly $5,000 for Relay for Life, the students will have earned a special treat for the entire school.

"If we reach our goal, Mrs. (Demaris) Gurley, the principal, will kiss a pig," Davis said.

Other club projects include a recycling program, canned food drive and maintaining a clothes closet at the school. Davis said the clothes closet is used to provide appropriate clothing to students who are dressed outside the parameters of the school’s uniform dress code, and also to also provide garments for students whose family can’t afford clothes.

Though the projects can be hard work, Mighty Dragon Alex Wilthman sums up the sentiments of the club members: "I like the projects because we get to help out the community."

And the kids really are helping in a major way. Before getting out of school for the Christmas holidays, the Mighty Dragons’ canned food drive collected more than 2,000 items that were donated to a Jefferson food bank.

Parent volunteer Traci Bowen says the club helps set a positive precedent for the students.

"I think it is a fabulous idea. When they sent the letter home about the club I was just thrilled," Bowen said.

"I think it’s important to get them involved with community service at an early age because then they expect it to be a part of their life as adults — and the kids all have so much fun doing all of the projects."