Belleville students raise money for the families of first responders

Local students donated money to an organization that provides financial assistance to families of injured or killed police officers and firefighters.

Collecting the money for The BackStoppers, Inc. organization was part of Our Lady Queen of Peace School students’ Lenten service project, according to Principal Sharon Needham. Lent is a religious season that begins on Ash Wednesday, which was March 1 this year, and ends before Easter.

The theme for their service project was “Be a Hero for a Hero.” Needham said students purchased 3,100 paper stars for 25 cents each. They wrote their names on the stars, which were displayed on the “Hero Wall,” and the $775 went toward the BackStoppers collection.

This story was originally published April 25, 2017 at 11:37 AM with the headline "Belleville students raise money for the families of first responders."