On behalf of all the second graders in the Grosse Pointe Public School System, Theresa Comilla’s second grade class at Ferry Elementary in Grosse Pointe Woods presents Grosse Pointe Animal Adoption Society Executive Director Corinne Martin with a check June 2 for more than $1,000 raised by students for the nonprofit.
By: K. Michelle Moran | Grosse Pointe Times | Published June 16, 2026
GROSSE POINTE WOODS — Second graders in the Grosse Pointe Public School System learned lessons in business and philanthropy at the same time.
As part of their economics curriculum, students in all the district’s second grade classes looked at three local nonprofits and voted on one — the Grosse Pointe Animal Adoption Society — to be the recipient of funds raised by the students, who created and sold goods to fellow students at their respective schools.
On June 2, GPAAS Executive Director Corinne Martin visited Theresa Comilla’s second grade class at Ferry Elementary in Grosse Pointe Woods, where the students presented her with a check for $1,367.47, the total amount raised by all the second graders in the district.
“It gave them an opportunity to look at areas in the community they could be supportive of even as a second grader,” Comilla said.
Some of the other schools made items such as buttons and keychains, Comilla said.
“All the schools did something different,” Comilla said.
As part of the class, she said students had to determine what their customers would want to buy. Then, they had to purchase materials to make these goods.
At Ferry, students made and sold items including bookmarks, pencils with pawprints on them, suckers and bracelets. For $1, their fellow students could spin a computerized prize wheel and whatever the wheel landed on was the item they got to pick.
Comilla said the entire class opted to stay in at lunchtime to make bracelets.
“We advertised around the school, and we made announcements at school so people would be aware of it,” Comilla said of the sale. “Presentation is everything, so the suckers were (displayed) in a doggy bowl.”
Jack Radke, 8, said his favorite part was “seeing kids happy when they’re getting their prize.”
For Ferry students like Liam Totin, 9, the best part was “selling all the stuff.”
Others enjoyed different aspects of the process, with one student saying she liked making the posters they used to advertise the sale.
“It was fun making all the stuff,” said Oliver Minnick, 7.
Hazel Roberson, 7, said she preferred the practice leading up to the sale, while Max Rathoe, 8, had fun maintaining the line of customers.
“I like that I got to help set up … and seeing how excited all the little kids and the older kids were when they got their prizes,” said Angelina Kole, 8.
Martin said the donation “is huge to us,” because they’re completely supported by donations. They make do on a budget of about $450,000 a year, which includes medicine and medical care for the animals. While they charge the Grosse Pointes to house and care for strays found in each respective city, that only covers a fraction of their expenses, and they don’t receive any additional government funding, Martin said.
“That’s really, really important to us, because we don’t have any other way to get money for the animals other than donations,” Martin said.
Local businesses also donate items like dog and cat food, including Hollywood Feed and Lou’s Pet Shop, she said.
Some of the students said they had gotten their pets from GPAAS.
“This is really nice, and it’s nice to have the kids in the community knowing about the organization,” Martin said.
Martin stressed that GPAAS is a resource for the community.
“If people have animal-related issues, questions or problems, call us,” Martin said. “Even if we can’t answer them, we can steer them in the right direction.”
For more information about GPAAS, visit gpaas.org.