Fundraising has been a part of the culture here at Flower Mound High School since the doors opened. Many organizations make it an essential part of the school year and do their best to make a difference, one penny at a time.

“Numerous clubs and organizations sponsor and participate in fundraisers for a variety of reasons,” student council sponsor Kellye Waller said.

One reason for fundraisers is to give beyond Flower Mound High School.

“The most interesting fundraiser I have seen here happened a couple of years ago,” Waller said. “To raise money for a girl at Lewisville High School who needed a kidney transplant, student council organized a fundraiser where faculty members competed against students in a basketball tournament.”

Student council members also organized a school supply drive for the students at Central Elementary a few years ago. The turnout was so good, they decided to continue the tradition this year.

This year the student council is collecting new and gently used toys for the Toys for Tots program. Other groups participating in fundraisers, such as the junior class, work to raise money for events that will happen later in the school year.

“The junior class will be selling Christmas ornaments as our fundraiser this year,” junior class sponsor Kendra Garrett said. “Though I would like to raise money for charity, this will simply help lower the price of prom for juniors and seniors.”

In previous years, fundraising has helped many clubs at FMHS, yet this year the participation seems to have dropped.

“We are not doing as well as I’d like,” Garrett said. “People are slammed busy and I think it slipped their mind. We did the same fundraiser last year and sold 52 ornaments, but this year we will be lucky to sell 25.”

Several fundraisers go to help organizations outside FMHS, such as cancer research or food banks.

“Our fundraiser, ‘Pennies for Patients’, funds leukemia research,” Waller said.

Many groups collect cans for their canned food drives for Christian Community Action. Earlier this year, FMHS’s improv troupe, the FMHS Footlights, made the admission price for one of their performances one can of food.

Several special fundraisers help prepare the community for the holiday season.

“Most of the clubs at FMHS ‘adopt’ students from New Horizons, a home for abused children who have been taken away from their parents’ supervision,” Waller said. “We then provide Christmas gifts for them.”

Most fundraisers take place during the holiday season. So whether it’s collecting cans for Thanksgiving or sponsoring an angel from the tree for Christmas, anyone can help make a difference this time of year.