Pau-Wa-Lu leadership students compete to raise $350 for charity

The Boys & Girls Club of Carson Valley will receive $250 and The Conservation Fund will receive $100 thanks to Pau-Wa-Lu's student leadership Christmas charity competition.

"The community skills the students are learning are huge," said student leadership teacher Mena Dedmon. "They've been calling charities and setting everything up."

Dedmon's leadership students managed the project, and more than 150 students from other classes decorated six Christmas trees and displayed them in the school's entry way. Each tree was assigned a local charity and a certain theme.

"This is the second time I have been exposed to these kids, and they are so impressive," said Minden Rotarian Bob Ladendorff.

Ladendorff and fellow Rotarians Barb Watson and John Henderson visited the school on Tuesday to select the two best-decorated trees, which would receive donations from the student leadership fund.

"This school in particular has really good programs," Henderson said.

The three Rotarians chose the tree for the Boys & Girls Club. Following a "school supply" theme, pens, pencils, glue and even a dictionary dangled from the tree's limbs.

The second tree chosen was for The Conservation Fund, decorated with recycled materials like cans and Styrofoam packing peanuts.

Dedmon said all the trees would be donated to local families after the competition.

"Instead of raising money, it's nice to give money," said ninth-grade leadership student Jennifer Gorton. "A lot of kids really wanted to do this. We had more sign up then we could handle."

Ninth-grader Kalynn Hobson said the project brought the school together.

"It was a big activity," she said. "The jocks, skaters and rockers were all working together."