More than halfway through a year-long fundraising effort, Hampton Bays Middle School students have already raised over $3,000 to help reconstruct the homes of Haiti, according to visual art teacher Kathy Dayton. The “Haiti Houses” project, which originated in Florida, has been taken upon by Hampton Bays Middle School art class students who have created “Haiti House” lapel pins with recycled materials to raise money for those in need.

For the project, each of the 450 students in the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth-grade art classes has been called upon by Ms. Dayton to create five sellable pins, which are being sold for $5 each. The brightly colored, hand-crafted artisan lapel pins are for sale at school district events and at the retail store Fandango in Hampton Bays. All proceeds will benefit the reconstruction of homes in Haiti.

According to Ms. Dayton, the “Haiti Houses” project combines three valuable lessons for the students: art, marketing and charity. The idea of children helping children resonated with her, she said, adding that she is thrilled to be leading a project that aids those in need through the power of art.

“I’m really proud of the kids,” she said. “And our goal is to raise $4,000 by the end of the school year we are going to do it!”