GROVE, Okla. — Since 2017 students at Grove High School have raised thousands of dollars for local charities and this year is no different during their annual COW Week.
COW meaning "Changing Our World" is something students said they get excited about each year.
In their first year in 2017, students raised more than $13,000. As the events grew so did the numbers. Last year the students raised almost $175,000.
This is a number they look to beat this year.
2 News went to the school to see how they raised so much money.
"The main goal is just to boost student morale and to get students, excited to come to school and excited for Cow Week. They walk in Monday morning, they see all these decorations it goes from a bare school to not bare and it's really a great thing," said senior Will Roberts the president of COW Week.
The move to decorate every wall from the school's entrance to the cafeteria is used to motivate students.
This effort all starts in December leading up to the week in March. To decorate the school students lock themselves into school working overnight to pull off the surprise.
But after all the decorations are put up, the students hit the streets. Event after event from dog shows, talent competitions and games the community gets involved with the school's mission to give back.
The students said raising money is not the only reason they like the week.
It also teaches them valuable skills.
"A lot of people think about COW Week and they think it's just raising money. But really it's about, impacting the students and developing them, developing their skills. So, like, it develops public speaking, communication skills, leadership skills and all that. We go to different businesses, we do business meetings. I mean a lot of things that just high school kids don't normally do," said Roberts.
He said they're being set up for success.
Every year the students pick an organization that will get the donations raised. This year the class decided to pick two, the Royal Family Kids Camp and Grove Backpack Program.
"Our class was really split. We have a really thorough decision process and they're split between the two, and then whenever we floated the idea of we could help them both, they really love that," said Roberts.
As the organizations benefit from the donations the students and community get to learn what resources are in their backyard.
"I would say our biggest mission this year is to give those beneficiaries that we have, you know, the awareness that they need and that we give the people an opportunity to seek that help from them. And so, I think that you know if you need these programs in your life that absolutely go for it and find that help because that's what we're trying to do is give these people and these students an opportunity to find that help even when it's hard to," said junior Avery Nichols the COW Week vice president.
The schools and students will be surprised on March 25 with the total number they raised. That number will be revealed at an assembly during school hours.
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere --
- Download our free app for Apple, Android and Kindle devices.
- Sign up for daily newsletters emailed to you
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- SUBSCRIBE on YouTube
