College Place Middle School’s fundraiser this week was a huge success.

Students raised $900 to help build schools and provide educational supplies in Kenya in three hours at Red Onion Burgers in Mountlake Terrace. Students felt passionate about education and that everyone should have access to it.

For the local event, the students wanted to help combat hunger in the community. In a little over two weeks, they raised over 2,800 pounds of food. They collected food at school and then kids volunteered their Saturdays to stand in front of grocery stores collecting food.

When people asked why they were doing this, they had no problem telling them they were helping their community. However, they wanted to do more. The students challenged the teachers in a weeklong competition on who could raise the most money to be donated to the food bank. The students ended up winning and over $700 was donated to the food bank.

For the global event, the students were really honed in on the idea that education should be available to everyone. So on Tuesday, April 14, 42 students showed up to help raise money for this project at Red Onion Burgers. There were kids making milkshakes, scooping ice cream, pouring sodas and water, busing tables, greeting and seating guests. There were even kids taking turns dressed up in a paper mache red onion and holding signs to have people come and support their cause. Even the owner was impressed with their enthusiasm and how much they raised in a small hamburger shop.