Chautauqua Elementary School spearheaded a monthlong “penny drive” to purchase classroom kits for Haitian students and raised about $3,000 in cash donations large and small.

“We called it a penny drive, but we’d take anything,” said Sharon Boyer, one of the teachers who helped organize the school-wide fundraiser. “It’s just been unbelievable how generous people have been. It’s beyond amazing in these hard times.”

The fundraiser surpassed organizers’ expectations, with no publicity given to the fundraiser other than word of mouth.

All money raised will be used to purchase classroom kits from Mercy Corps. Each kit costs $500 and contains everything needed to begin a school classroom — from textbooks, paper and pencils to chairs and calculators. Teachers had hoped to purchase two kits, and it now looks like they’ll be able to pay for at least five.

The kits are a great value, Boyer said — supplies that could cost $15,000 in the United States will cost only $500 through Mercy Corps.

“After the earthquake hit Haiti, several of us were wondering what we could do in response,” said teacher Jan Smith. “It was really no work — the kids stepped up and did everything.”

She said Chautauqua families and community members have stopped by the school and given donations to the penny drive.

“We did it to help Haiti, because they just had a big earthquake,” said fourth-grader Mariah Smith, who gave money to the cause. “I knew we could do it.”

She and other students said they felt happy that they could help kids affected by the devastating natural disaster on the Caribbean island.

Over mid-winter break this week, Boyer, Smith and a team of volunteers plan to count the many Ziploc bags and Tupperware containers full of coin rolls, loose coins and paper money.

Students and community members have been thoughtful in their donations, Boyer added.

“Kids have even brought me their popcorn money on Popcorn Fridays,” she said.