Your school can help: Fun ideas to help raise money for those in need.

  • At your request, a kit will be delivered to your school containing posters, stickers, collection cans and brown paper bags, all free of charge. On Lunch Money Day ask students to donate the money that they would have spent on lunch to Second Harvest. Volunteers within the school can circulate and collect the donations in collection cans.
  • Ask your vice-principal to put February 26, 2009 on your school calendar. Publish the date on your school web site, outdoor sign or in your newsletter. Make PA announcements or visit homeroom classes.
  • Ask your teacher if you can organize an assembly or explain the importance of Second Harvest through a discussion session. The Second Harvest and Lunch Money Day web sites will give you all the information you need, or you can call our office at 416-408-2594 for more help.
  • School Sponsored Lunch - The Lunch Money Day representative in your school organizes a school sponsored lunch (pizza party, hot dogs, etc.), and students make donations in exchange for food.
  • Hold a bake sale.
  • School Dress Down Day - A great idea for schools where kids have to wear uniforms. Prior to Lunch Money Day, students donate money in exchange for the opportunity to wear casual clothes on February 26, 2009.
  • Teacher Karaoke Night - Want to see your favourite teachers embarrass themselves in front of the whole school? Organize a teacher karaoke night and set a price that the students have to raise for each teacher to hear them sing!  For instance, that really strict math teacher may be priced at $500, while the drama teacher may be $200. 
  • Set a Challenge!­ Do you have a sister or brother school? Is your school divided into houses? Does your school have a rival school? Do you want to compete against another grade? Organize a school assembly and challenge another house or grade to see who can raise the most money for Lunch Money Day. 
  • Tournament - Would you like to spend the afternoon playing soccer,baseball or dodge ball? Organize a Lunch Money Day Sports Tournament with your school! Decide on a tournament entry fee for the teams. Perhaps you can buy some trophies to give out to the winning teams!
  • Penny Drive ­- In addition to some of the other things that you can do to raise money, a penny drive is a great idea. Students can bring in all those jars of spare change that are around the house. If you let everyone know early on that you are planning on having a penny drive they can start to save their change; therefore, the earlier you organize it, the more money you can raise! Make sure you have a team of people to help you roll up those pennies!
  • Penny Wars is a great way to make a penny drive fun. Organize teams (maybe by grade or house) and have everyone collect as much change as possible. The purpose of the game is to earn as many points as possible. Points are determined by the value of the coin. For example, one penny = 1 point, and one nickel = 5 points. The fun part is that teams can lower the point total of another team by putting money in their opponents’ jars.  For example, by putting a $5 bill in an opponent’s jar you have just reduced their total points by 500! The team with the most points at the end of a week is the ultimate Penny Wars winner!!!
  • Dance-a-thon ­- You don¹t have to be on So You Think You Can Dance to win this game - you just have to be the last one standing! Organize a Dance-a-thon at your school in the name of Lunch Money Day. Determine a minimum entry fee per couple...­ maybe $20. Couples can raise money by collecting pledges from their family and neighbours.
  • School Sleepover Party ­- Wouldn¹t it be fun to hang out in your school after dark...in your pajamas?! With the permission of your school, organize an evening where you can sleep over in the gymnasium. Make sure everyone pays $10 to sleep over and you will see how quickly you can meet your fundraising goal!
  • Shave that Beard - Does everyone in your school want to see a particular teacher shave their beard or moustache or even cut their hair!? Approach one of your teachers and ask them, “how much would it cost for you to shave your beard?” Then let everyone in your school know that you are collecting money to get him to shave his beard in the name of Lunch Money Day. Get him to do it in front of the whole school at an assembly!
  • Chores -  We all have them and now, for a week, let's charge for them: $2 for picking up after the dog. $1 for making your bed.
  • Have a school-wide 'garage sale' and donate the proceeds.
  • Organize a 'Carnival Day' in your gymnasium with games and prizes and donate the proceeds to Second Harvest.
  • Hold a Read-A-Thon and have friends and family sponsor you a certain amount of money for every book you read.
  • Don't forget to get another school involved! Along with raising money for Lunch Money Day make it your own personal goal to get one more school involved. The more schools we have on board with Lunch Money Day the more people we can help support!

The possibilities are endless and it's all for a really good cause - helping Second Harvest feed those in need.

Please email us with any other ideas for raising funds for Lunch Money Day. We will add them to our list!

To participate in Lunch Money Day, register now.