Schools across Lincoln County have found a great use forpennies, as well as nickels, dimes and quarters.

In recent weeks, students at Brookhaven Academy, Bogue Chitto,Enterprise, West Lincoln, Brookhaven Elementary, Lipsey andAlexander Junior High have raised a combined $17,700 in the”Pennies for Patients” campaign fundraiser for the Leukemia andLymphoma Society. Students at Loyd Star began their efforts thispast week and will go for three weeks.

As one of only 82 counties in the state, Lincoln County students’efforts to raise funds for cancer research are within strikingdistance of accounting for 10 percent of the statewide goal of$200,000. While $2,300 is all that’s needed for thataccomplishment, Loyd Star officials said they are aiming for$8,000.

LLS officials said 310 schools across the state are participatingin the fundraising effort.

Locally, schools collected the impressive amount in a wide varietyof ways, from candy sales to chances to have fun at a schoolofficial’s expense. And the effort certainly got schools’ andstudents’ competitive juices flowing.

At Brookhaven Academy, which contributed more than $6,300 towardthe countywide total, students focused heavily on coinagecollections in pursuit of a pizza party for the winning class. Ofcourse, paper money was counted toward the fundraising cause butcounted against classes in the points battle for the party.

Coins, but pennies in particular, may not be too highly regarded intoday’s world of high-dollar finance. But when collected bycommitted students, coins can add up to more than pocket change fora good cause like cancer research.