NEW YORK, NY -- 01/02/08 --
Four 35,000-pound Con Edison trucks will
vacuum up an estimated hundred million pennies in a 165- by 30-foot outdoor
"Penny Harvest Field," sponsored by Common Cents, at Rockefeller Center
(between West 50th and West 51st Street, just north of the fabled tree)
tonight at 8 p.m.
The display is part of a demonstration of the generosity of New York City's
elementary and middle school children, whose donations launched the 17th
annual Common Cents Penny Harvest, a national year-long educational program
designed to teach children about their value as contributors to society.
The monumental display, designed by noted architect James Polshek, is
hosted by Tishman Speyer, the co-owner and manager of Rockefeller Center.
The Penny Harvest encourages students to connect with their neighbors and
gather idle pennies by going door-to-door in their communities. After
gathering pennies in the fall, student leaders, with the help of a Common
Cents trained teacher, go through a rigorous group process to decide how to
spend their funds, involving both grant-making and service.
Children make grants that defend the environment and human rights, help
children and the elderly, as well as to help fight disease and disaster.
The impact is staggering: each year student donations and service hours
help hundreds of local and global charities. At the same time, children are
building skills and values that will last a lifetime. Every cent they
collect will be donated to a charitable cause.
Contact:
Media Relations
212-460-4111
