Students at Mid-Prairie elementary schools are responding well to a fundraising challenge. Wellman, Kalona and Washington Township Elementary Schools are participating in the Mile of Pennies program, where the children are asked to bring in change, with the class that brings in the most receiving a pizza party.

Optimist member Dennis Phares helped bring the program to the area and shares that as of last week Kalona Elementary had already brought in over $400.

Funds raised by the program, sponsored by the Kalona and Washington Township Optimist Clubs, will go to Johns Hopkins Universities research of childhood cancer.