Hillpoint students boogie for March of Dimes

Hillpoint Elementary School students boogied for the babies in their final March of Dimes fundraiser Friday.

Students paid a $2 donation to the charity for the privilege of dancing during school hours. The March of Dimes works to improve the overall health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality.

“It’s a fun little way that the kids can help support the March of Dimes,” said Carol Johnson, Hillpoint kindergarten teacher and March of Dimes coordinator for the school.

Kindergarteners, first- and second-graders participated in many line dances they learned in PE classes, such as the Macarena and the Chicken Dance, while the upper grades got to show off some of their own moves, especially in a Soul Train line.

About 300 students made donations to take part in the festivities and enjoyed popcorn and drinks to refuel after the event.

This is the third year Hillpoint has had the dance as a fundraiser, but Johnson said the committee wasn’t sure it would happen this year because it’s a lot of work to coordinate.

“It kind of pushed us, and we had to make a quick decision,” Johnson said.

It wasn’t until a couple of weeks ago the committee came together to make it happen because it’s such a hit with the students.

She added she is glad they did it because it helped push them to make their $2,000 goal.

“Times being what they are, we were thrilled we could make $2,000,” Johnson said.

The school has met its March of Dimes goal every year it has participated, and last year, the school raised the most funds out of all the Suffolk Public Schools with $5,000.

Hillpoint’s other March of Dimes fundraisers included a jelly bean guessing jar, a faculty and staff raffle, a day for faculty and staff to wear jeans, and the Hoops for Hope basketball day. Johnson said the most popular event is the sale of Beanie Babies.

“(The students) really got a heart for it,” she said. “It’s just heartwarming that they want to give to the babies.”