Students collect "Pennies for Patients" - KYTX CBS 19 Tyler Longview News Weather Sports

West Rusk Elementary students just wrapped up the first of three weeks of fundraising for a project called "Pennies for Patients". The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society reached out to the school's nurse about the campaign because it's a fund raiser happening state-wide. And even though it's their first year to participate, these students have already gone above and beyond expectation.

West Rusk Elementary School has about 300 kids kindergarten through second grade and they've already passed their goal of collecting $500. In the first week alone they collected $600 bucks and all of that money will go towards research for leukemia.

This is the first year for West Rusk to be a part of the "Pennies for Patients" campaign, but students like second grader Blane Minor said they're happy to help other kids battling a deadly blood disease. "Without any money they can't eat and they can't get better. Sometimes I ask my mom or my grandma if I can have a dollar or something but you can just, like if one's laying on the sidewalk, you can pick it up and put it in the boxes you carry home. The next day you come to school and you put it in your class box."

West Rusk Elementary also encourages the community to get involved. People are invited to drop off extra cash and "Pennies for Patients" at the school's front office.