PASADENA, Calif. - First-graders who read about poor students missing classes for lack of proper clothes raised hundreds of dollars through a penny drive and purchased socks and underwear for the needy children.
Forty-four students at the Polytechnic School were spurred to action by a newspaper article about the problem. They collected $309 by setting out collection jars at the preschool-through-12th grade campus and also raised another $100.
On Wednesday, each student was given $9.10 for a shopping spree at a local store.
Alan Duan, 7, bought socks with Pokemon characters while Megan Anderson, 7, went for socks with ladybugs. Classmate Hilary Williamson chose Barbie underwear.
''We got a bunch of pennies,'' Hilary said. ''We turned it in to the bank and we got money back. We're getting socks and underwear for the poor people.''
The clothing was given to the Pasadena Unified School District's Homeless Education Program.