Palouse third grade class raises money for K-9 unit

Efforts by a third grade class to help out the Whitman County Sheriff’s K-9 unit culminated last week with a classroom visit from Deputy Sgt. Keith Cooper.

Palouse Elementary School’s third grade students presented the officer a check for $150 and a basket of treats and toys for his German Shepherd named Unix.

Jayne Oleson’s class began the fundraising effort last October when student Emaline Wilson read a book called “Scout,” from “The Puppy Place” series, in which grade-school students raise money for a search and rescue dog. Wilson asked her mother, Lori Wilson, if her own class could do that.

Lori then brought the idea to Oleson, and they contacted Sgt. Cooper and Unix for the project.

In two fundraisers the class earned more than $150, selling caramel apples at one event and hot chocolate floats at another in the Garfield-Palouse cafeteria. In addition, Pets Are People Too from Pullman donated items to fill out a gift basket.

Last Friday morning at the school, Officer Cooper came to the class, answered questions and gave a demonstration with Unix, in which the dog sniffed out hidden drugs.

“I can’t thank Officer Cooper enough. He was fantastic,” said Wilson, who was a volunteer reader at the school when the project began.

“We want the kids to be interested and read; from that came a fun book about fundraising and helping animals,” she said.