Helping victims of the recent earthquake in Haiti, students at Liberty Schools are bringing in their old, but gently worn, jeans to send to teenagers in need.
''This is a great opportunity for the kids to get involved,'' said Elizabeth Koll, seventh-grade World History teacher and Student Council adviser. ''Sometimes we tend to get disconnected from what is happening somewhere else in the world, but this is really getting kids in touch with what's happening,'' she said.
After the school district was approached by Aeropostale at the Southern Park Mall, student council members took up the cause and began asking their classmates to participate in the jean drive. Large boxes are located at each school for students, their families and members of the community to drop off slightly used jeans for the cause.
The drive runs from Jan. 25 to Feb. 12. Aeropostale has a goal of collecting 200,000 pairs of jeans to send to Haiti and another 200,000 pairs to send to teens in need throughout the United States in their nationwide drive.
Everyone who brings a pair of jeans into the schools will receive a 25-percent coupon from Aeropostale for a new pair of jeans, Koll said. Coupons are given out from the schools' offices.
''We're accepting any size, as long as they are gently worn,'' Koll said.
Even some local businesses have been working to get the word out, she said.