"Holy smokes, that is so much money," Nancy Isabel, director of development for the Tomorrow Fund told the students. "That is the biggest check we have ever gotten from a school."

"What you have done is so incredibly important," she continued. "All that money stays right here in Rhode Island to help children with cancer."

In the past three months, the sixth-graders have held numerous fundraisers to raise money for the children's cancer charity.

"In our science class, we were studying cancer," said Drew Chretien. "We made informational pamphlets about all different types of cancer. Together, we thought it would be a good idea to raise money for cancer patients."

A student in the class who fought cancer came up with the idea to raise money for the Tomorrow Fund, Drew said.

"The Tomorrow Fund really helped me when I was fighting cancer," said Marissa Peck. "They helped my family pay all my medical bills and, when I got over the cancer, they sent me to camp. They helped my family out so much, so I gave the rest of the class the idea and they thought it was great."

The students formed a fundraising committee and brainstormed ideas for raising money, Drew said.

The students raised the money by hosting a pasta dinner at school, a pancake breakfast at Applebee's, and selling Tomorrow Fund bracelets at the school store.

Two first-grade students, Daniel Carignan, and Ethan LePain, wanted to help the sixth-graders out so they hosted a hat day on which students paid $1 to wear a hat to school, Drew said.

"It started with a little project and it shows how one initiative grows and blossoms," said Jan Sullivan, principal of Western Coventry Elementary School. "They made the goal of raising $5,000 and they wouldn't stop until they reached that goal."

According to Anne Marie Printer, a sixth-grade teacher, there are 73 students on the Pride Team and almost half of them participated in the fundraising.

"It was a really great way for the kids to learn about the community and become involved," Printer said. "It is really important, especially at this age, for kids to start thinking about others besides themselves and their own families."

Many of the students said they were very proud that they met the goal they had originally set.

"We worked really hard to reach the goal we set," said Katina Gustafson. "We feel really good about it."