By Amanda McGregor
SALEM — Whether they are collecting pennies or soccer balls, local schoolchildren are looking to assist earthquake victims in Haiti.
Maxwell McAuliffe, 7, a student at the Horace Mann Lab School, is encouraging students around the district to donate $1 so he can send 100 soccer balls to children in Haiti.
"Their toys are in their homes where it's all crushed," Maxwell said. "... Me and my dad just want to give them some toys so they can get their mind off all that stuff that happened."
Meanwhile, Bowditch School students are running a penny drive to benefit Doctors Without Borders, and Witchcraft Heights School kicked off a Red Cross fundraiser last week — among many local efforts to assist victims of the Jan. 12 earthquake.
Chelle Giroux, art teacher at Witchcraft Heights, helped students start Hands Helping Haiti to donate money to the Red Cross of Massachusetts.
"The greatest part is the kids telling me about collecting donations from neighbors or friends who come over," Giroux said. "It's so nice for me to hear they care so much and are making such a difference."
Students in all grades traced their hands on colored paper and cut them out to create a Hands Helping Haiti banner.
"It's been so cute," Witchcraft Heights Principal Mark Higgins said, "because virtually every kid coming in is equally proud to give their donation, whether it's a nickel or a $20 bill."
Hands Helping Haiti started Wednesday, and by Friday, the school had delivered a $1,746 donation to the Red Cross office in Peabody, according to Higgins, who said teachers around the district responded.
"It's amazing what you can do as a team," Giroux said.
Maxwell, who is running the soccer ball donation campaign, e-mailed other schools in the district, as well as friends and even politicians. He and his father, Gavin McAuliffe, said they are looking for a way to ship the soccer balls to Haiti.
"We pretty much want to ship them out by Valentine's Day," said Maxwell, who is in second grade. "It makes me feel good because a lot of kids are like dying for something to do out in Haiti and ... and people of Salem or Marblehead can maybe help and make sure they have something to play with."
