Valley Charity Day is scheduled for Saturday, May 14, 2011 from 9am to Noon at the Middlesex Valley Elementary. Valley Charity Day began a few years ago and allows our students and the community to raise money for a few charities, both locally and internationally. We raise money through a student bike a thon and car washing event sponsored by Middlesex Valley Student Council. We also collect canned food for the Friendship House and raffle off prizes to support the Wildcat Hearts Soldier Project.

Each year, we have the primary students participate in a Poster contest; they select a charity that is important to them and create a poster. This year, the winner is Ashley Smith, who selected the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation, an organization that supports Dystonia.

Dystonia is a movement disorder that causes the muscles to contract and spasm involuntarily. It affects 300,000 people in the U.S. alone, and there is no cure. But there is hope--and treatment. She has a family member who is affected by this disease.

Shelby Dobbertin is the winner of the persuasive essay contest that is held in conjunction with the poster contest for Valley Charity Day. Shelby writes about the disease Aplastic Anemia, a disorder affecting a student in the Marcus Whitman Central School District. We will be donating to the Aplastic Anemia & MDS International Foundation during Valley Charity Day this year.

So mark your calendar for Saturday, May 14 to join us and raise money for 2 great causes.