Left to right: Mary Ella Heyd, 10; Malina Mootoo, 9; Gabriella Collazo, 10; Makeda Wagner, 10; Anna Patterson, 10.

By Carol Tannenhauser

Five girls from Manhattan Country School at 150 West 85^th Street, organized a bake sale on March 23 to benefit the victims of the February 24 fire that destroyed 19 rental apartments above Jacob’s Pickles and e’s Bar, on Amsterdam Avenue between 84^th and 85^th streets, displacing all of the residents. The sale raised $650, donated by the 9 and 10-year-old girls to a gofundme account set up by e’s Bar to help the victims of the fire.

“Me, Anna and Anna’s mom were walking past Jacob’s Pickles,” said 10-year-old Gabriella Collazo, in the living room of the school, Thursday afternoon. “We asked what happened and she told us that, sadly, there was a fire. Me and Anna said to each other, ‘We’re kind of new to this block and we should show that we respect what happens around here.’ Our school just moved in this year.”

Manhattan Country School was formerly located on East 96^th Street between Fifth and Madison Avenues. Inspired by the teachings of Martin Luther King, Jr., it is known for its diversity, progressive values, sliding-scale tuition, farm experience, and student activism.

“We thought it would be pretty nice to do a bake sale, because we could raise a lot of money and help them,” Anna Patterson, 10, said. “We felt really bad that it happened.” “Everybody in our class baked and some people not in our class,” said Malina Mootoo, 9. “We set it up outside our school and we signed a big card for the people who lost their homes in the fire,” said Makeda Wagner, 10.

“We held it after school,” Mary Ella Heyd, 10, said. “A lot of us went down to the end of the block with signs and advertised,” Anna added. “And we made up a motto.”

All five girls now joined together, rapping and laughing, “Let’s raise some money! Let’s share some love!”

Leave it to children to find the fun in fundraising!

Photos by Carol Tannenhauser.