Watch Amanda's First TV Interview!
Six-year-old Amanda Perlyn is interviewed by Peter D'Oench of WPLG Local 10 News in Fort Lauderdale, after she makes a difference by helping her first grade teacher, Dr. Marguerite Malko, visit her only child for the holidays. Original air date December 1988.

By MEGAN HUSSEY
Tribune correspondent

   HUDSON • Alex Galoza celebrated his eighth birthday Wednesday by helping classmates in need.
   As one of 230 students who collected pledges for the OCHO - Opportunity for Children to Help Others - service project at Northwest Elementary School, Alex helped make it possible for every student at Northwest to take home free books from last week's book fair.
   "It made my heart feel warm to help," he said. "Some of my friends said that when they went to the fair and saw all those books, their own hearts beat so fast they couldn't stop them."
   Students collected pledges to read eight books each, earning a dollar a book, and brought used books from home.
   They collected more than $1,200 to buy books for this year's fair from Look At A Book. Store owner Chip Houghton donated 500 books.

Northwest's business and community partners sponsored books for 80 students, and Veterans Elementary conducted a book drive.
   The school collected 3,000 books for the fair. The project was greatly needed, said Northwest guidance counselor Lisa Peart.
   "Every year it would break my heart to see students that didn't have enough money to buy a book at the fair," she said. "I'd find myself reaching in my own purse to get change to help them."
   Peart contacted Marilyn Perlyn, a children's book author who founded the OCHO project, a national effort to promote literacy and community service for children. Perlyn previously had worked with schools that staged book-collection efforts on behalf of Title I schools, where a large number of students come from low-income families. But this is the first time a Title I school has conducted its own OCHO project, she said.

   "Northwest is a model school," said Perlyn, who flew from Delray Beach for the book fair.
   Many student council members vulunteered at the fair, including council President Nicholas Golden, 10.
   "Reading makes the mind grow," said the fifth-grader. "This is a good activity for all the kids."
   Students who collected pledges received five books; they were allowed to keep one and donated the others.
   Taking books home will help students improve their reading during the summer, teacher Sue Samuelson said.

School book drive spreads smiles

Lois Pope, $10 million donor to the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, talks with Marc Buoniconti, who was paralyzed in a 1985 football game. "We can be more optimistic than at any time that a cure will be found," Buoniconti said after the donation announcement.

Teen's gift inspires $10 million donation for paralysis cure

By NANCY McVICAR
Staff Writer

    When Boca Raton teen-ager Eric Perlyn spent his bar mitzvah money to buy shoes for needy children in 1992, he had no way of knowing his gift would grow 10 million times.
     But on Monday, when Palm Beach County philanthropist Lois Pope gave $10 million to the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, she said Perlyn's selfless action was the first link in a chain of events that led to her decision.
     "I believe in what I call 'life links' - people, events and causes that link people to one another," she said.
     Pope said a story she read in the Sun-Sentinel about Perlyn's efforts to donate hundreds of pairs of shoes to needy children inspired her to start LIFE - Leaders in Furthering Education - in 1993.
     "I felt that people like that young man should be rewarded and encouraged to continue helping others and nurtured as future leaders of society," she said. LIFE gives full scholarships to young people who have performed good works and also gives gifts to major universities and special projects.
  
   

MILESTONES IN SPINAL CORD RESEARCH

• 1990: A study sponsored by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke finds that one type of steroid can significantly reduce paralysis if given in massive doses within hours of a spinal cord injury.
• 1991: Miami Project researchers demonstrate that adult human central nervous system cells can regenerate.
• 1992: Researchers from the University of Florida Brain Institute and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Cincinnati restore limb movement in adult cats with spine injuries through transplantation of cat fetal nerve tissue.
• 1993: A drug called 4-AP
  (4-aminopyridine) given to chronically paralyzed patients restores some nerve conduction cells called axons, thus returning some lost function after injury.
• 1994: Miami Project scientists succeed in causing nerves to grow and form a bridge between cut ends of an animal's spinal column.
• 1995: Work at Cornell University finds the brain contains precursor cells (cells that develop into nerve cells), and that they can be grown in the laboratory. The news neurons may some day be used to repair brain and spinal cord damage.
• 1996: Using specially treated nerve implants, scientists in Stockholm, Sweden, were able to restore function to the back legs of laboratory rats whose spinal cord had been damaged.

SOURCE: Miami Project to Cure Palalysis, American Paralyssi Association New York Times

Teen's generosity inspires major gift for paralysis cure

     She said the next link in the chain was forged in 1994 when Christopher Reeve was guest of honor at a charity ball to benefit LIFE asked her to dance the first dance with him, and agreed to serve on the board of directors.
     That was a year before Reeve's horse pitched him headfirst to the ground in 1995, nearly ending his life and leaving him paralyzed from the neck down.
     Even though he couldn't be at the 1995 LIFE benefit, he sent a video message saluting the organization.
     "In that video, he asked me to save him a dance," Pope said. "He truly believes he will walk and dance again, and I truly believe he will."
     Pope's gift to the Miami Project will go toward the construction of a new building at the University of Miami School of Medicine to house scientific and clinical research programs, University President Edward T. Foote II said.
     "Mrs. Pope's generous support will enable us to expand the vital work of the Miami project, leading to new treatments, and ultimately, a cure for spinal cord injuries," Foote said at a news conference announcing the gift.
     The building will be called the Lois Pope LIFE Center and will be part of a new research quadrangle at Northwest 11th Avenue and 14th Terrace on the medical school campus.
     Right now the work of the project is scattered among several buildings, said Dr. Barth Green, a co-founder of the Miami Project along with Nick Buoniconti, former All-Pro Miami Dolphin, whose son Marc was paralyzed in a college football game in 1985.
     March Buoniconti called Pope's gift a giant step in the quest to fulfill a promise his father made to him shortly after his injury.
     "We can be more optimistic than at any time that a cure will be found. One day we will all walk," Marc Buoniconti said.
     Significant progress has been made over the past decade, Green said. When the Miami Project started, many scientists said a cure was impossible.

Perlyn

     "We have seen a major revolution in scientific thinking. The view that the spinal cord and brain in humans lack the ability to regenerate has been proven wrong," Green said.
     Researchers recently have been successful in building bridges of nerves across broken spinal cords in animals, an area the Miami Project has been pioneering.
     "We are at the threshold of learning how to apply this new knowledge in human patients through the use of such cutting-edge technology as genetic engineering and transplantation of cells," Green said.
     Pope, widow of National Enquirer founder Generoso Pope, is active in many charitable causes and will join the board of directors of the Buoniconti Fund, a fund-raising arm of the Miami Project.
     At the news conference, she met Chad Perlyn, Eric Perlyn's brother. Chad is a second year medical student at athe University of Miami.
     Eric Perlyn, 19, now a freshman at Duke University, was astounded to learn of Monday's events.
    I've never met [Mrs. Pope] but it's so ironic that out of all the charities she could have donated to, she decided to donate to UM. My brother's there, and there are other links we have," he said in a phone interview.
     Perlyn played for Pine Crest in the football game in which Stranahan High player Kendrick English became paralyzed. He went to his coach wanting to help somehow and as a result the two teams visited English and gave him a TV for his hospital room.
     "To think that something I did four years ago might help him now, I can't really express the feeling that you get from that. I don't know how to put it into words, how good it makes me feel," he said.

The OCHO Project in Tanzania!
Students at Northwest Elementary School in Hudson, Florida, participated in The OCHO Project at their school and obtained 3000 books for kids who had few or no books of their own. Through the kindness and generosity of these students who wished to "pay it forward," cartons of their books were sent to students at Moya Primary School in Babati, Tanzania. The African students were overjoyed to receive ta gift of books! Click on this video to listen to the music, see the smiles on the children's faces, and here the laughter as they dance and rejoice!

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NEWS STORIES of caring and sharing
 

Northwest Elementary School - Hudson, FL

Teen's gift inspires $10 million donation for paralysis cure

Students at Northwest Elementary School reached out recently to fellow students a world away through the OCHO Project - Read for a Need. OCHO - Opportunities for Children to Help Others - is a character-based service learning project dedicated to improving literacy, encouraging a love of reading, and teaching youngsters that you help yourself when you help others, say proponents. The prime objective of the program is to have students read not only to expand their knowledge but to help "earn" books for students who have few books of their own. Students serve and learn while building character values and discovering that they are capable of bringing about change, proponents say.

Kids share
the gift of
learning

Northwest
Elementary
student
Rheagan
McClure
reacts as she
learns that
children in
some African
schools sit on
stones rather
than chairs,
and lack such
things as
school meals
and crayons.
 

BRENDAN FITTERER  |  TIimes

Northwest Elementary first-graders Kieric Amato, left, and William Boyd focus on a presentation about the lives of students in Africa and how Northwest students' donations of more than 100 books filld a need for them.

Students in Tanzania, in southeastern Africa, show off books they got from students at Northwest Elementary in Hudson.

Pasco [Tampa Bay] Times • Thursday, March 11, 2010

Daily Jefferson County Union • November 20, 2009

JEFFERSON - Students at Jefferson's West Elementary School will hone their own reading skills as they work to provide books to enrich others' lives.

Tami Hess, one of the three co-advisors to the school's new Student Council group said that this months-long project has two aims: To teach students the value of reaching out to and helping others, and to emphasize the importance of literacy here and around the world.

Hess said that the school's new Student Council group - consisting of 16 fourth- and fifth-graders - just started up a couple months ago, and this is one of the projects the council decided to take up.

The service learning project, "Opportunities for Children to Help Others" is called OCHO for short - the Spanish word for eight.

Throughout the program's run, all 300 West students will be challenged to raise $8 in pledges for reading eight books.

The funds from the reading drive will go to a used book store in Miamisburg, Ohio, called "Look at a Book." The store then will work closely with West to send enough books back to provide each student with one to two gently-used books to be dispensed at a free book fair at the school in March.

The books for the fair also will be boosted by community donations.

"By completing this project, students are learning how literacy is a worldwide issue," said Hess, noting that one in seven people cannot read, despite the fact that the skill is vital to becoming a successful adult in the modern world. The project also fits in with the community wide character education initiative, "Character in Action," which is spearheaded by the School District of Jefferson.

"The OCHO Project will help students learn honesty, caring, and responsibility," Hess said. "By asking students to read and share books, we are promoting reading while helping other students who are in need."

Hess said that West Elementary School has frequent book fairs, but unfortunately, many students cannot afford to purchase materials there.

"So many students here don't have exposure to any books at home," said Hess, who teaches cross-categorical special education and co-advises Student Council with fellow teachers Francie Brown and A.J. Paul.

This project will help to ensure all students have at least one book to share at home," Hess said.

The teacher stated that the idea for the OCHO project and the free book fair came from the regional character education conference that the Jefferson school district sponsors each year in Waukesha.

Specifically, character education presenter Marilyn Perlyn - mother, educator, public speaker and nationally recognized expert on parenting and character education - suggested a similar project, and the West teachers felt it would translate well to their school, Hess said.

Since Jefferson's "Character in Action" seeks to involve not just the schools, but the entire community, it's only fitting that community members have the opportunity to contribute to the OCHO Project, as well.

Thus, the West Student Council will be extending the invitation to the community as a whole to contribute new or gently used books for the fair.

"As the book fair draws nearer, we're looking to have boxes at local business places to collect books," Hess said. "If anyone wants to volunteer to donate money toward the books, they can also contact us."

To assist with the project or with questions, people may call Hess or West principal Mike Howard at West Elementary School at (920) 675-1200.

"We are never too young to make a difference in another person's life," Hess said. "It's the Jefferson Way!"

By Pam Chickering Wilson
Union staff writer

FREE BOOK FAIR [March 10, 2010] - West Elementary School in Jeferson held a free book fair for all of its students Tuesday as part of its year-long OCHO Project. Titled "Opportunities for Children to Help Others," the project challenged students to read eight books and gather pledges of $1 from eight adults. That money went toward collecting books for needy children elsewhere in the world, while at home, the school and its student council organized a book drive for Tuesday's free book fair. The collection ultimately yielded around 400 books, enough for each child to take home at least two books. The OCHO Project, which ties in with the district's focus on character education, concentrates on giving to others in combination with a push for local and global literacy. Pictured above, fifth-grade volunteers Hannah Bingha and Christopher Lee check students' books and take their tickets after a younger class has gone through the free book fair. Pictured showing them his books is kingergarten pupil Jon Lenz. Pictured top left, Marissa Battist looks over the selections at the kingergarten table. Shown at bottom left scanning the titles are Shyla Booth, Alison Barradas, Jon Lenz, Luisa Mendez, and Miguel Rodriguez, among others.

Shown at left, students from Nancy Pope's kindergarten class read their first selections while waiting for a second turn to choose a book.

Daily Union photos by
Pam Chickering Wilson

Students at Northwest Elementary School in Hudson, FL
reach out to fellow students in Tanzania, Africa

Friday, June 18, 2010

Binks Forest Students of Wellington, FL help Haitian Kids by Making Books

Students in Ann Jacob’s writing class at Binks Forest Elementary School made English-Creole word books for children who were injured in the earthquake in Haiti.

These special children were evacuated to Miami Children’s Hospital for care after the earthquake. More than 70 student-published books were given to the children during a fun trip to Universal Studios in Orlando. The idea for the trip came from Dr. Chad Perlyn, who operated on the children. Perlyn felt that these children needed healing physically and emotionally. The children read the books during the three-hour bus ride to and from Orlando, and continue to read and study the books as they begin to learn English.

Binks Forest students with the books they made.

Binks Forest Students Create
Books For Haitian Children

The students got the idea after listening to author Marilyn Perlyn on Career Day. Jacob helped with the translation and bookmaking, and the students illustrated the books. Book titles include Months of the Year, Days of the Week, Numbers, Colors, Parts of the Body, Farm Animals, Nature and more.