Prosperity has the upside of a leisurely life style, but the downside of distorted values. (just my opinion).

Fran Hopkins' fourth- and fifth-grade class at the McAuliffe School raised fistfuls of cash last week along with their own awareness about a natural disaster an ocean away.

One of the students invited the whole class to his birthday party and asked for donations to the fundraiser in lieu of presents. That additional $750 brings the total fundraiser to approximately $2,000. In addition, students will be writing letters to UNICEF to request that the money be directed to the Philippine relief efforts and to explain how they raised the money.