If the smell of food was not enough to draw students to visit three Reed Intermediate School clusters participating in this year’s June 5 Kindness Carts effort, the sounds of cheer and excitement certainly did the trick.

“Get your pretzels!” student Stephen Sibley called, announcing a booth where students could buy snacks in the middle of teachers Matt Dalton and Petrice DiVanno’s cluster.

Three clusters participated in this year’s Kindness Carts, or pushcart, effort. Students in Drew Hall and Erika Michaels’ cluster and students in John Sicbaldi and Carrie Usher’s cluster also took part in the day’s creative projects.

The projects have become an annual event at Reed, enticing students with tasty treats and other creations to purchase, all while raising money for a cause. As in past years, students worked individually or in small groups to create the Kindness Carts. The project was based on the sixth grade curriculum, integrating lessons on math, cultures, and more.

Students sold a range of things — from handmade bookmarks to warm nachos with melted cheese to milkshakes — all in the name of raising funds to build a well in Liberia.

“They rose to the occasion,” said Ms DiVanno, as the Kindness Carts effort was underway around her. Echoing her comments, Mr Dalton said, “They did wonderfully.”

Just two days later, Mr Dalton announced just how wonderfully the clusters did this year.

“We are thrilled to have broken the $5,000 mark,” he wrote in a June 7 e-mail.

Money raised from the day’s effort will build a well in Bunadin Town, Nimba County, Liberia.

According to Mr DiVanno, Reed fifth grade teacher Karen King helped connect the fundraising effort to build a well in Liberia, and she spoke to the students ahead of the Kindness Carts day to explain the importance of the effort.