As the old saying goes “A penny saved
is a penny earned,” but the children of New York City took their
coin collecting to a whole new level. Hundreds of thousands of
city students representing more than 800 public schools in the area
spent their weeks between October 22 and
Thanksgiving collecting
pennies door to door. The outcome is being displayed in Rockefeller
Center near the famous Christmas tree.”The Penny Harvest Field”
was designed by architect James Polshek and is approximately 30 feet
by 165 feet, or roughly as long as a city block. The value of
their collection is estimated at around $1 million, or 100
million pennies plus a few other coins that might have slipped
in. The exhibit is the outcome of the 17th annual Penny
Harvest hosted by the nonprofit organization Common Cents. Their
national education program is designed to teach children about their
contributions to society, and after the first of the year, the money
will be donated to charitable organizations of the children's choice.