A fundraiser to benefit the Morgan County Schools Foundation is underway in Morgan County Schools. All 18 schools in the system and their 8,450 administrators, teachers and students are participating.

On Thur., Jan. 3, sales kits for a “Community of Unity Candle Campaign” were distributed and students began taking orders for Gold Canyon Candles, an Arizona-made product selling for $14 to $22. The campaign will continue through Jan. 17. Orders will be filled and returned to buyers two weeks after the fundraiser ends.

Profits are earmarked for the Schools Foundation and will be used to help fund a system-wide “Leaders in Me. Program, which was initiated last year. The money will be used to help fund a system-wide Leaders in Me Program.

“Our goal is to double the $20,000 we’ve raised for the Foundation so far,” said Kerrick Whisenant, a Foundation board member. “Ultimately, we want to reach a $1 million plateau.”

“This is the first time in the history of the school system that everyone, from the superintendent to the kindergarten student, is working hand-in-hand to raise money for the benefit of students,” said Pam Jarrett, fundraising consultant. “We believe that we should invest in ourselves first before we go out and ask the corporate community to invest in the education of our children by making a contribution to the Foundation.”

In addition to helping their school system, each student will have the opportunity to earn a prize. The top selling student at each school will receive his or her choice of a $100 gift certificate or a football autographed by either Coach Nick Saban of the University of Alabama or Coach Gus Malzahn of Auburn University. The top three sellers from the facultes will also receive a prize and the class with the highest total sales will be treated to a pizza party.