Brunswick elementary school teacher continues her tradition of students raising money for veterans

BRUNSWICK — A Brunswick Schools teacher continued her nearly 20-year tradition this year of having students raise money for veterans organizations. Jeannette Timko is a music teacher at Kidder Elementary School, but she started the fundraiser while working at Crestview Elementary School. Students are encouraged to "build a flag" by making donations. She said each class is given a black and white flag, and then they color it red, white and blue with each donation. Then, to encourage a little competition, it is announced which class is in the lead at the end of the day. When Timko taught at Crestview, students raised money for Cleveland Honor Flight, which flies veterans for a day trip to Washington, D.C., to see memorials. "I did that at Crestview for about 15 years," she said. "We raised over $35,000 in that time period for Cleveland Honor Flight." After taking a break for a few years, Timko said she decided to bring the fundraiser to her new school, Kidder. For the past two years, students have raised funds for Veteran Companion Animal Services. "I felt like the kids would attach a little bit more with the animals," she said. "Because (Veteran Companion Animal Services) does rescue dogs and place them with veterans, I felt like, 'Oh my gosh, this is a win-win.'" In November, Kidder students raised approximately $1,800 for Veteran Companion Animal Services, with kindergarten teacher Jessica Mallia's class contributing more than $300. A total of $3,400 was raised for the organization over the past two years. "I do a couple-minute lesson in their music class on where the money goes," Timko said. "There's a lot of YouTube videos from (Veteran Companion Animal Services) where they show veterans with their dogs. The veterans that are interviewed talk about how that dog has filled the hole from loneliness or is healing emotional (post-traumatic stress disorder)." Kids may not be aware of what veterans do, and the fundraiser gives them a real life connection, Timko said. "I just wanted the kids to understand that giving is sometimes better than getting," she said. Timko said she is near retirement, but another music teacher started her tradition of fundraising back up again at Crestview. "I have like one more year of teaching," she said. "I'm going to definitely volunteer for (Veteran Companion Animal Services) when I retire and bring awareness on how an event like this, I feel, really creates a deeper understanding." Contact reporter Madisyn Woodring at (330) 721-4049 or mwoodring@medina-gazette.com.