By By KATHIE HEMPEL / Niles Daily Star
NILES – Kids helping kids is the theme driving three Brandywine sixth grade students.
Inspired by the recent campaign for Africa on the popular "American Idol" television show, Jessie Cooper, Patience Newman and Ashley DeJong decided they could help.
"We want to send the money to the Keep a Child Alive organization to send to Africa," DeJong said.
The girls have donation cans in every classroom in their school and the class that raises the most money will be treated to a pizza party. They have plans to extend their fundraising to churches and businesses as well.
What the Brandywine students lack in corporate finesse, they make up for in spirit.
"We will continue to collect money until May 23," Cooper said.
According to the Keep a Child Alive Web site, "currently 14 million children have lost one or both parents to AIDS, and by 2010 the number is expected to reach 25 million. These children will face enormous risks in their struggle to stay alive."
Keep a Child Alive has several large corporate supporters such as AOL Music, CBS, Estee Lauder Companies, HBO, KLM, L'Oreal USA, Rolex, Saks Fifth Avenue, Time Inc. and Walt Disney Company.
"There is an email address too. If someone wants to know how to donate, they can email us at kidshelpingkids@aol.com," Newman said.