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FARMINGTON — Eva Butler knew the total would be big, but she didn't realize just how big until she saw the check.
Butler, a student body officer over service at Clearfield High School, said the initial total was $77,000. But after other donations were factored in, the grand total came out to $82,034.35 — the school's highest amount ever raised for charity, surpassing the previous record of about $81,000.
"We were definitely crying," she said. "It's so rewarding ... I think it's something that will forever be a part of us."
Butler shared her experience during a Davis County Commission meeting on Tuesday morning, where she and three other student body officers were honored for their work to raise the money for the Davis County Children's Justice Center.
Clearfield High students donated the money during an annual 10-day event called "Falcons are Fabulous." It featured money-raising activities like lip sync battles with winners determined by who received the most donations during their performance; administrators auctioning off their reserved parking spaces for an entire school year; and "penny wars" between grades, in which every penny donated was a positive point and students sabotaged other grades by donating other coins or cash. That last activity alone brought in about $27,000, according to a news release.
Julie Stephenson, executive director at the Davis County Children's Justice Center, said when the student body officers reached out, they initially thought they could raise around $45,000 for the facility and the resources it offers. When they presented the total amount, she thought there was some kind of mistake.
She was emotional as she hugged each of the students, and said it's particularly meaningful to receive such a large donation from students who live in a typically lower-income zip code.
The number of children the center helps increases every year, Stephenson said. The funds raised by the high school will go toward meeting needs that otherwise couldn't be provided.
"In May, it'll be 20 years I've been working in this field, and I've never seen such an amazing thing," Stephenson said.
Butler said she and the other student body officers spent time researching different charitable organizations that could use the money. Previous beneficiaries have included the Ronald McDonald House, the Davis Mindfulness Center and the Safe Harbor Crisis Center.
The students had the opportunity to tour the Davis County Children's Justice Center, and asked a lot of questions about what they do for children who have witnessed or survived abuse and other negatively impactful situations, Butler said.
"As a team, I think we all felt like this was the right place," she said. "We (wanted) to make sure that it's a place that benefits the community in a special way ... we just wanted to make a difference."
After the students decided on the Children's Justice Center, they got to work planning "Falcons are Fabulous," which Butler explained was a time-intensive effort. The 10-day event, held in December, was enormously busy, but also "the best 10 days ever," she said.
Cole Flinders, junior class student body officer over service, said the fundraising activities are fun, but Clearfield High students would have donated without them. Some of his peers save money all year for the "Falcons are Fabulous" events, he said, while others donate entire paychecks.
"I don't even have words to explain the feeling of watching this community and this school come together and raise so much money for something that they know is going to do so much good," he said. "It will forever go in my mind as one of the best things that I've ever been a part of."
Davis County Commissioner Lorene Miner Kamalu said the county is privileged to have such service-minded young people.
"We know you do incredible things that are never recognized ... but thank you for this very public effort," she said.
