Catasauqua Middle School students spent the month of October raising money to “help a vet get a pet.” On Nov. 5, members of CMS Student Forum, led by art teacher Kimmee Miller and sixth-grade teacher Vicki MacLaughlin, presented a check for $1,350 to the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7293 auxiliary in Egypt. The funds were accepted by Debbie Smith, auxiliary president.

This fundraising effort started with an assembly Oct. 1 when Heather Lloyd, from Tails of Valor, and Dietz, a service dog in training, came to the school. Lloyd talked about how, at Tails of Valor, she trains service dogs to help veterans who need assistance when they return home.

Dietz, who is 8 months old, even gave students a demonstration of some of the skills he already learned, such as listening to commands from his handler and turning a light switch on and off. Dietz was named after Danny Dietz Jr., a U.S. Navy SEAL who died serving this country while deployed.

Since the total cost of a trained dog is anywhere from $35,000 to $40,000, the students at CMS wanted to help the VFW auxiliary purchase a service dog for a local veteran.

Sevyn Jones, a student at CMS, designed paper paws, which were sold for $1 during lunch times.

During the check presentation, students shared stories of significant moments during the fundraiser. One story described how a sixth-grade student and his friends emptied their piggy banks to donate $125 toward the cause.

Many of the teachers matched the amount of money raised by their homerooms. It was noted Mrs. Morgan’s sixth-grade homeroom raised $60, and she matched the donation.

The auxiliary members were touched by the stories shared, and many were even brought to tears by the generosity of the CMS students.

The money raised will be added to what the auxiliary has already raised from its own fundraising efforts.