Often the March air is cold at 5:30 a.m. but student leadership seems not to mind the temperature or the influx of traffic as rush hour approaches. Campus students volunteered their time to sell Kids Day versions of The Fresno Bee as part of the citywide effort to raise money for Children’s Hospital Central California on March 20.

“This was the first year I had ever done this,” Kim Bimat, ’05, said. “It was a lot of fun but really hard to get my self up that early in the morning. In the end it was well worth it.”

Many of the students will never forget the experience because of unexpected number of papers sold.

“It was so much fun to stand on the street corners and yell at the people,” Michelle Smith, ’04, said. “Majority of the people bought a paper I cant complain we had really good sales.”

The Kids Day papers included a copy of The Fresno Bee and a special section, which features stories about Valley Children’s patients from all over the Valley. More than 70 percent of the children are on state or federal funded public assistance programs.

“I think it really cool that so much money has been raised for the kids at the hospital and that it help in a positive way,” Evan Sanders, ’03, said. “Usually I just buy one of the papers but this year it felt good to sell them and to buy one.’

Since 1988 approximately $1.2 million have been raised through the Kids Day program. The Kids Day papers are sold for $1 in 21 towns and communities in Central California.

“This is an excellent opportunity for our leadership class to serve outside our campus walls,” Christopher Schultz, student leadership adviser, said. “This is a good cause which our students are happy to be a part of.”

Thirty-five campus students sold 510 papers along Alluvial from First to Maple for two hours beginning at 5:30 a.m. Student leadership surpassed their earlier goal of selling 300 papers.

This year hospital organizers estimated over 3,000 volunteers hit the streets to sell the special Kids Day edition of The Fresno Bee.

Students interested in volunteering to sell papers on March 20 should call 559-353-7100 or go to www.childrenscentralcal.org.” “Maddie Ervin, Photographer” “Thirty-five campus students sold special edition Fresno Bee Kids’ Day newspapers to raise money for Children’s Hospital Central California on March 20. Here Brian Casey, ’03, sells his last paper to Andy Baier, substitute teacher, just before school begins.” “” “” “Childrens Hospital Central California