Two Kentucky Schools Host Spirited and Lucrative Penny War for St. Jude

It has become an annual tradition. This time each year, Trinity High School and St. Mary of the Woods stage a huge penny war to raise money for the children of St. Jude. Something else that has become a tradition? The undeniable competitive nature of the event.

According to Jenny Howard, whose three boys have been involved with the Penny War for years now, shared this on social media about the 2023 war.

I hear there is a very heated competition this year at Trinity High School and St. Mary's of the Wood School for the annual Penny War for St. Jude. Gavin Howard has been counting change all night.  We are cracking up. He has been showing us picture his friends are sending him with piles of change.

See, Jenny's son Gavin, in so many ways, inspired this tradition years ago.  When he was about 8-years-old, Gavin decided he wanted to donate his birthday money to the patients of St. Jude.  That inspired him to think bigger.  And that's what he did.  He and his family have raised thousands and thousands of dollars for St. Jude and Gavin's passion for the cause has definitely caught on with his classmates.

Christina Rhodes, a teacher at the school and National Honor Society sponsor, replied to Jenny's social media post.  She said:

The Penny War ran from Monday, January 23rd through Friday, January 27th. Each school had its own set of rules for the fundraiser. Here's a sample of what the rules looked like.

The Penny War money was added to the funds collected from the Dollar Dress-Down Donation Days, which was hosted by the National Honor Society in December and January.  Monday morning, the school shared the totals!  Yes, they were in a "war" with one another, but the students banded together to raise an astonishing $4866.93 for St. Jude.

Gavin proudly shared the exciting news and, as you'll hear, there was one final fundraising push after the big reveal.

Christina Rhodes is so proud of the result and the students for working together to achieve it.  Look at this! This is what LOTS of money in change looks like!

She proudly adds this, "It's a big group effort from our school community!"