Three students at Cranston High School West have started a district-wide book drive to benefit their younger elementary peers around the city. Freshmen Sophia Saccoccio and Francesca Vachon, along with sophomore Cory Dottor, came up with the idea together and spoke to the district's central administration, where Roxanne Gustafson, Director of Educational Programs, was willing to lend a hand, and to Guidance Counselor Deana Golini at Cranston West, who was also willing to guide the students' project.

"We wanted to do this to help the kids in the elementary schools who don't have the money to get books," said Saccoccio.

According to Dottor, collection boxes were placed in every school on March 20 and flyers were sent out across the district announcing the drive, which will last through the end of May. Once the books are collected and sorted, they will be delivered to the schools whose students are in need.

Although no specific goal has been set, the students are hopeful that many books will be collected.

"We really hope to get a good amount," said Dottor, who plans to speak to his class council officers about encouraging the drive at West as it continues over the next two months.

The three recently received word that Barrington Books in Garden City will be helping out the cause as well.

"They have put a box in their store, and employees have been putting books in already," said Vachon. "Customers who want to donate books can donate them and leave them in the box there."

In addition to donating actual books, anyone in the community can contribute to the students' book drive by donating cash or checks (made out to Cranston Public Schools), which will then be used to purchase books.

"If every person who has a child who is now grown donated just one book, just think how many books that would be," said Golini.

As underclassmen, it is the hope of all three students that this drive will be something they can run year after year, getting it well-established before they graduate several years down the line.

Those wishing to participate in the drive can bring their books and monetary donations to their closest school, to Cranston West, or to Barrington Books in Garden City.