SOUTHINGTON — Fifth-grade students at Flanders Elementary School packed writing teacher Kim Padroff’s convertible with pet food, supplies and toys Friday as part of a donation drive to benefit the Meriden Humane Society.
More than 50 students participated in the drive, prompted by one of Padroff’s former students, now a middle schooler, who is also collecting for the no-kill nonprofit Meriden animal shelter.
More than 300 items were collected from the students and their families, according to Padroff, and nearly $200 was raised.
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“We have everything. Tons of food, treats, paper towels,” Padroff said. “(The shelter) is very excited.”
The goods and money will be delivered to the Meriden Humane Society over the weekend.
Some of the most prolific student fundraisers were Nick Cusson, Carson Zielinski and Raina Cox, all 10 years old.
In an assignment, Cusson wrote about how he and his mother found a stray dog and brought it to Southington Animal Control shelter. There he met another dog, which he still visits. Cusson and his family also volunteer at the town shelter and have two dogs of their own.
Cusson said he became more concerned about the plight of dogs, such as the pit bull his family found at a local reservoir.
“We brought her home and fed her,” Cusson said, adding that the dog was eventually adopted by a local family.
He enlisted his neighbor and classmate Zielinski, who also has dogs and fish. The two handed out flyers and collected items and money from residents.
“We ended up with a lot more stuff than we expected,” Zielinski said.
Cox’s family has cats, birds, fish, a hamster and a dog.
“One of my big passions is stray cats,” she said.
Padroff said her class usually does a community service project and in the past has done a food drive around the time of the Super Bowl.
The latest project was prompted by a former student as well as writing topics chosen by her students.
“This was inspired by our personal narratives” Padroff said.
jbuchanan@recordjournal.com 203-317-2230 Twitter: @JBuchananRJ
