As I wrote on March 20, Sutterlin acknowledged that his lesson, though long on altruism, was a little short on economics. After his students assembled the books - meant for a Peace Corps teacher named Casey Bartrem - Sutterlin learned that shipping them to Africa would cost about $1,100. Suddenly the teacher had a ton of books on his hands, and no way to move them. In deep "I'm in over my head, and outside my pocket book," Sutterlin wrote in an e-mail to me. He was hoping a shipping company might step forward and give him a break. That didn't happen, but within a week or so, readers responding to the column about the Dimondale project came up with an astonishing $1,200. Sutterlin said his phone "rang all day" on the day the column appeared. One anonymous donor kicked in $500, but most of the donations were much smaller. Among the those who e-mailed me about the project was the Peace Corps teacher, herself, who happens to be a native of Williamston. Here's part of what Bartrem wrote: "I'm a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer serving two years here in Lesotho, and when I wrote home to friends and family asking for 'a few books' to add to the new library in my village, I grossly underestimated the response." Sutterlin and Bartrem don't even know each other directly. They have mutual friends. She added: "What the people of Dimondale (and those who contributed to the shipping costs) have done for our village is truly exceptional, and in no way will I be able to thank them adequately. "Thank you to those who have been supportive of my village ... I promise you that my community will never forget the efforts so may have made to bring this to fruition."
Dimondale Elementary School students collected 11 boxes of books for impoverished students in a village in Lesotho meant for a Peace Corps teacher named Casey Bartrem
Schneider: Readers kick in to ship books to African students
John Schneider • Lansing State Journal •
March 31, 2009 • From Lansing State Journal
DIMONDALE - Yeah, money's tight these days, but it seems to have a way of materializing for the right causes.
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Helping elementary students with an exercise in good global citizenship, for example.
Dimondale Elementary School students, under the direction of teacher Walt Sutterlin, collected 11 boxes of books for impoverished students in a village in Lesotho, Africa.
As I wrote on March 20, Sutterlin acknowledged that his lesson, though long on altruism, was a little short on economics. After his students assembled the books - meant for a Peace Corps teacher named Casey Bartrem - Sutterlin learned that shipping them to Africa would cost about $1,100.
Suddenly the teacher had a ton of books on his hands, and no way to move them.
In deep
"I'm in over my head, and outside my pocket book," Sutterlin wrote in an e-mail to me.
He was hoping a shipping company might step forward and give him a break.
That didn't happen, but within a week or so, readers responding to the column about the Dimondale project came up with an astonishing $1,200.
Sutterlin said his phone "rang all day" on the day the column appeared.
One anonymous donor kicked in $500, but most of the donations were much smaller.
Among the those who e-mailed me about the project was the Peace Corps teacher, herself, who happens to be a native of Williamston. Here's part of what Bartrem wrote:
"I'm a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer serving two years here in Lesotho, and when I wrote home to friends and family asking for 'a few books' to add to the new library in my village, I grossly underestimated the response."
Sutterlin and Bartrem don't even know each other directly. They have mutual friends.
'Truly exceptional'
She added: "What the people of Dimondale (and those who contributed to the shipping costs) have done for our village is truly exceptional, and in no way will I be able to thank them adequately.
"Thank you to those who have been supportive of my village ... I promise you that my community will never forget the efforts so may have made to bring this to fruition."
Meanwhile, back in the classroom, the project has spawned a whole school year's worth of lessons.
Said Sutterlin: "It's been a huge lesson in character education ... global citizenship ... the power of the press ... the ability to reach out, and make a difference in the world."
Sutterlin said he'll use the surplus donations to send more books to Lesotho.
Call John Schneider at 377-1175, send a fax to 377-1298 or e-mail jschneid@lsj.com.
