ELLENDALE — Students at New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva Elementary School in Ellendale collected Pennies for Patients to benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society during the week of Jan. 10 to 14. Students teamed together, each contributing a little, and collected $4,739. They would like to say a special thanks to First National Bank, Ellendale branch, for counting all the coins.

“I am so proud of our students,” said Doug Anderson, elementary coordinator at the school. “One student or one penny acting alone doesn’t accomplish much, but when we all team together, anything is possible. Our students and staff did a great job of giving selflessly to help children and others battling blood cancer.”

“These students serve as an example to all of us through their commitment to helping others,” said Kelly Velazquez, campaign manager for the Minnesota chapter. “Their efforts will help local patients and their families along with funding blood cancer research at the University of Minnesota and Mayo Clinic.”

Leukemia is the most common cancer in children and young adults less than 20 years old. An estimated 957,902 Americans are living with a blood cancer, and every four minutes, someone new is diagnosed. Since 1992, $5.9 million has been raised locally by thousands of pre-kindergarten, elementary, middle, high school and college students. For information regarding local programs and services of the Minnesota Chapter of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, call (888) 220-4440 or visit www.LLS.org/mn.