Dorm residents raising 'pennies from Heaven'

Dorm floor residents are competing against each other to raise money for child abuse prevention programs.

The Women's Center is the sponsor for Pennies from Heaven, a fund-raising organization for TEAM for West Virginia Children.

Each dorm floor is to raise at least $30 by March 17.

Leah Tolliver, coordinator for the Women's Center, said the winning floor will receive a pizza party sponsored by Papa John's Pizza.

Other sponsors include WTCR, 7-Eleven, Bank One, Express Printing and the Tri-State Media Association (Atlantic Star Communications, WVAH, The Herald-Dispatch, WSAZ, WCHS and WOWK).

Buckets will be placed in some areas around the campus for students to place money in.

"We want to get the students involved with the community," Tolliver said. "And they don't have to be a graduate to start helping."

During the fund raising, dorm floors will have seminars on abuse programs.

Dr. Marty Amerikaner of the psychology department and president of TEAM for West Virginia Children, said Pennies from Heaven was set up for the public school system.

Amerikaner said the goal for this year is $30,000.

The money goes to programs in Cabell, Wayne and some in Lincoln counties.

Amerikaner said the organization began as Cabell County Child Protection Team and has since grown to be a premier organization.

The program is to help inform and prevent child abuse and neglect with other programs such as Health and Families America; Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA); and Child Assault Prevention (CAP), Amerikaner said.

"This is the main fund raiser of the year," he said.

For schools that have business partners, the partners match the money raised by the students in that particular school.

Marshall does not have a business partner, but would be open to having one, Amerikaner said.

He also said Bank One keeps track of the money that comes in.

"We want to raise more awareness for more active programs to lower child abuse around the country," Amerikaner said.