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Two sixth-graders teach key lesson: Help others

Wilkes-Barre Academy students’ latest fundraiser is helping autistic adults.

By Sherry Long slong@timesleader.com
Staff Writer

WILKES-BARRE – Durga Follmer and Olivia Greer may only be 11 years old, but they know the importance of helping others through unselfish acts.

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Shallu and Sonal Garg purchase gifts from 11-year old Wilkes-Barre Academy students Durga Follmer, left, and Olivia Greer, who are raising money for adults with autism.

Aimee Dilger/The Times Leader

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The sixth-grade Wilkes-Barre Academy students began donating money to various nonprofit groups in the Wyoming Valley and globally last year when they began designing jewelry to sell at their school’s holiday fair. They sent money to the American Heart Association.

Now the girls are selling jewelry and Christmas-inspired tea and hot chocolate jars and beaded candles to raise money for autistic adults. It’s a cause that is near and dear to Durga because she has an uncle who is affected by autism.

The girls’ most ambitious fundraising project was developed to help people in Durga’s home country of India.

She came to the United States when she was 3� after being adopted from an orphanage in Kakinada, India. After she got an e-mail with some pictures a few months ago from Pastor Paparao Yulurichy, who took care of her and continues to run the orphanage, she knew she and Greer had to do something to help.

“I know those people don’t get as much as we can get here,” Durga said.

So the girls organized a two-day bake sale to raise $550. That may not sound like much, but that money provided a new well to provide drinking water to 1,200 families, supplied toiletries and food feeding program to 500 children living on the street and blankets to 100 poor children.

“It feels really good knowing that you helped people that really needed to be helped,” her partner Olivia said.

The girls’ teacher, Patsy Casella, is in awe of the girls’ willingness to unselfishly give of themselves to others.

“In 17 years of teaching, I’ve never quite been so impressed about the genuine heart that goes behind these girls’ fundraisers and personal sacrifice they do because they feel a commitment to give back. They think their lives are great and they want to give back to those who are in need,” Casella said.

If you donate

Wilkes-Barre Academy

c/o Durga and Olivia

20 Stevens Road

Wilkes-Barre, Pa 18702