Shearer Elementary students raise $491 for United Way

As a reward for their efforts to raise money for United Way, Shearer Elementary School students received a royal visit Thursday.
Miss Kentucky 2011 Ann Blair Thornton visited the school to talk to the students after they collected $491 during the school district’s Change for Change drive last month.
Shearer was one of the top four change collectors in the district along with Pilot View and Hannah McClure elementary schools and the Clark County Preschool. District-wide, students raised a total of $1,774 for the program which was started several years ago by former Miss Kentucky Djuan Trent.
Another $1,430 was raised by teachers across the district, making the total for the week-long Change for Change effort $3,204.
Shearer Elementary School also was among the top three in employee giving as well, along with Clark County Day Treatment and the Clark County Public Schools Central Office.
Shearer Principal Cynthia Powell said she was extremely proud of the students’ effort.
“I’m just so proud of our kids. This was huge for them to collect that much because of the socioeconomic makeup of our school,” Powell said. “This has been a tremendous group for giving back. They also collected earlier in the year for the Coins for Compassion for tornado victims, so for them to do this much is huge.”
Thornton spent more than an hour with the students sharing with them the three things her grandfather taught her that helped mold her into the person she is today — hard work, patience and love — and challenged the students to use those three things to reach their goals and dreams.
Thornton also chose a student — Kayla Lichwa — to be Miss Kentucky Shearer School, removing her tiara and placing it on Lichwa’s head to wear during the remainder of her presentation.
“The student have been excited about Ann Blair’s visit all day, and she didn’t disappoint. This is a big thrill for these kids and they deserve it for what they’ve done,” Powell said.

Contact Bob Flynn at bflynn@winchestersun.com.