Students recently took part in the Olive Garden Pasta for Pennies program to raise money for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. In a three-week period, they filled classroom collection jars with $1,800 in spare change and donations. The class that raised the most will dine on a pasta party delivered by Olive Garden.

As part of the initiative, School Advisory Committee member Devin Zenteno from Rent King donated a Hewlett Packard laptop computer to use as a student prize.

Fifth grade student Karissa Aultman was the lucky computer winner.

“We are very grateful to our business partner, Rent King, and the Zenteno family,” said Assistant Principal Metta O’Bryant.

Olive Garden’s Pasta for Pennies is a national fundraising program in partnership with The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and the more than three million K-12 students who participate. Since 1994, the Pasta for Pennies program has raised more than $53 million to fight the diseases and to provide services for patients and families.

Photo: Assistant Principal Metta O’Bryant (l-r), Nadia Zenteno, computer winner Karissa Aultman, Devin Zenteno, Tammy Zenteno, and their son Devin, during the Pennies for Pasta presentation.