THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, July 6, 1995 TAG: 9507010135
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 13 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JOAN C. STANUS, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 60 lines
The students in Ivana Di Nini's second-grade class at Trinity Lutheran School did not want an ice-cream party or new playground equipment.
No, they were adamant.
They wanted to send the $10 prize money they had won for best attendance at a parent-teacher meeting to the children who suffered injuries or lost parents in the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City.
``I was really surprised when they suggested it,'' Di Nini said. ``I hadn't discussed (the bombing) with them ... and I didn't know how much they knew from home. This was all their idea.''
The students became so taken with sending their money to Oklahoma City that they all pitched in extra dimes and quarters to come up with another $5 to send. They also made cards with Bible verses and scenes of flowers, teddy bears and balloons to send along with their donation.
``I drew spring flowers and rainbows,'' explained Brier Lee, 8. ``I thought it might make the children happy.''
Sharon Leiding, a kindergarten teacher at the school, was so touched by the students' selflessness that she, too, contributed her class' $10 prize money.
``This is a real sweet group of children,'' Di Nini said. ``They've made frogs and leprechauns to give to the Children's Hospital (of The King's Daughters) and at Christmas they donated socks. They really want to help others.''
One of the students who originally thought of the idea agreed.
``We're tenderhearted,'' 8-year-old Brian Kerzel said matter-of-factly. ``We were real sad.''
Brandon Duensing added: ``They lost their families, and we thought the money could help with funerals.''
The money made its way to the Oklahoma City children by way of the grandfather of two of Di Nini's students, twin sisters Allison and Marie Mileur. Joe Mileur lives in Rush Springs, Okla., about 60 miles from the bombing site. He agreed to forward the school's $25 donation and the children's cards to the Oklahoma Governor's Office, where a fund has been established for the bombing victims.
The poignancy of the children's contribution captured the attention of editors at a weekly newspaper, the Rush Spring Gazette, which featured them in a May story.
The twins' mother, Michele, said she almost cried when her daughters told her about their class project.
``I was so very proud of all of them,'' she said. ``It made me feel like the school was making sure my children were getting exactly the kinds of values I wanted them to have.''
Trinity Lutheran School is a Christian school located on Granby Street. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by JIM WALKER
The students in Ivana Di Nini's second-grade class at Trinity
Lutheran School sent gifts from their hearts to children in Oklahoma
City.
by CNB