Group donates cash for hearing impaired students

Hearing-impaired students will benefit from a $1,700 donation to the Carson City School District presented Wednesday by the local Sertoma Club.

"This group has always supported our hearing-impaired program," said Mary Pierczynski, school district superintendent. "What our local people donate is matched by national Sertoma, and over the years we believe together they've given us $100,000."

Pierczynski said Carson City has 22 hearing-impaired students from kindergarten through 12th grade.

The donation will go toward purchasing equipment such as computers, hearing aids, videos and books for the program.

"There's never enough money," said John Peshek, Sertoma Club president. "This is our 14th year donating, and we're not done yet."

Peshek said the group hopes to donate another $6,000 for the program before the school year ends.

Nine hearing-impaired students attended the luncheon in the Juniper Room of the Pi-on Plaza Casino. As the group signed songs and thanked the Sertoma Club, Peshek shed some tears.

"It was beautiful," he said. "Sertoma's main function is to work for the speech- and hearing-impaired. We do other charities, but this is our main one."