2/26/14 - Some students at Challenger Elementary will be able to continue getting hot lunches thanks to the efforts of one of their peers. 8-year-old Cayden Taipalus became upset earlier this month when he noticed one of his friends trying to buy a hot lunch at Challenger Elementary, only to be turned down because his lunch account did not have enough for the purchase. His mother, Amber Peters, tells WHMI Cayden told her about it and asked what they could do to help the children who needed help purchasing food. They decided to start raising money to contribute to the delinquent lunch accounts of Challenger students who receive reduced-cost lunches and breakfasts. Cayden began collecting cans, asking for donations from friends and family, and even took his campaign to Facebook to ask the community for support. On Monday, he and his mother delivered $61 to Challenger's food program, paying for 151 school lunches. This covered all of the delinquent accounts and put several additional meals onto each account so the students would not have to worry about going delinquent again anytime soon. Cayden actually raised closer to $200 during his campaign, and will use the remaining money to take his philanthropic efforts to other schools. He and his mother will be visiting Southeast Elementary on Thursday to make the same kind of donation for the students there. Peters says Cayden enjoys seeing how his efforts can make other people happy, and he has not sought out rewards or recognition in the schools. (TD)
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