Ada School students will be collecting Pennies for Patients for the next three weeks with a goal of raising $2,000 for leukemia and lymphoma research and patience assistance.

Speaking at a kickoff assembly on Monday, Julie Thaxton, (pictured), junior high math teacher and Beta Club advisor, encouraged junior high students to raise funds for the project. The Beta Club, an honor society, is heading up the project.

Last year 1,300 schools in the area raised nearly $500,000. It was noted that those diagnosed in the 1960s had a 10 percent chance of living, when today the odds are 95 percent, so research is important.

Cancer treatments are expensive, thus money is needed to help patients pay the costs associated with getting better.

"Every penny counts," Mrs. Thaxton said.. "We need not only pennies, but also larger gifts to make our goal."

To give online, click here.

PHOTOS BELOW:

• Melissa Foster, campaign manager for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, showed a video of the success and importance of research and explained about how the funds raised will be used.