Second Graders Support Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation

On June 2, Mrs. McDermott’s second-grade class presented a check to JDRF for $2,700. They then had a pizza party to celebrate. The funds were raised by the students’ button and magnet sale and included generous donations. Salvatore Principato came up with the idea to start the button drive based on his friend and classmate who has diabetes as well as his “business partner,” whose younger brother has diabetes. Sal was also interviewed on campus by the Two River Times about his business idea and, last week, was made an honorary member of the Ranney Lower School Community Service Club, which typically includes third, fourth and fifth graders.

Second-grader Salvatore Principato (Manalapan) has been leading his classmates and the Lower School Community Service Club on a mission to host a button drive in support of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). When Sal found out that two of his classmates were affected by diabetes, he decided to start a business to make buttons and key chains that could be sold in support of JDRF. With the support of his teacher, Mrs. McDermott, and his classmates, Sal and his fellow second graders have been designing button templates during recess for the past several weeks. Sal finished making the buttons at home on his button-making machine. Today, the class is selling the buttons—they made more than 600—during their lunch period and will donate all proceeds to JDRF. You can also watch a video that the class made about the drive on their new iPads with the help of Technology Teacher Mrs. Wood.