It takes 84,480 pennies laid end-to-end to stretch a mile. That’s $844.80! Your church can make a big difference in the lives of children and families across Kentucky when you work together to save... A Mile of Pennies! Here’s how to get started:

1. Share the Mile of Pennies idea with your pastor and get his support. The best promotion for any church project comes from the pulpit.
2. Present the idea to your church council. Make sure the project is officially endorsed by the church and placed on your church calendar.
3. Ask your little angels to help ours! Kids love to get involved in this project and you may be surprised at how fast your Mission Friends, RA’s, GA’s or Awanas accumulate pennies. Just ask any Dad or Grandpa where most of the pennies from their pockets go! It’s a great Vacation Bible School project. You might kick-off the “Mile of Pennies” campaign during VBS Week.
4. Your campaign needs to run at least one month. It needs to be long enough to raise 84,480 pennies. If you collect one mile, go on to your second!
5. Enclosed in your packet is a Mile of Pennies label sheet. Make copies and cut the labels to fit the soda cans, jars, etc. your congregation will use to collect their pennies. One 12 oz. soda can holds about 550 pennies. Encourage adults to drop in any size coin.
6. Reward success. Award prizes to individuals, classes, etc. who collect the most pennies. Make it fun. Have a “Pennies Party” in the fellowship hall to launch the drive. Play games, provide refreshments, and apply the labels to your cans, jars, etc. Many churches pit the girls against the boys to see who can raise the most money.
7. Consult with your church's bank at the outset. Explain what you’re doing and ask the most convenient method, from their perspective, for delivering your pennies. They might require 50 pound bags. Or they may not have a coin counter and require rolled pennies. Talk to your banker before you start.
8. A Mile of Pennies has tremendous public relations value for your church. Call your local newspaper and TV stations and encourage them to do a feature on the campaign. One church cancelled Wednesday night activities and the entire congregation met in the fellowship hall and rolled pennies. Newspapers and TV stations would love to cover something like this.
9. When the Mile of Pennies is completed, have a “Pennies Commissioning Service” during your Sunday morning worship service. Have the children bring their pennies to the front in buckets, red wagons, etc. Ask the pastor to lead the congregation in a special prayer time for Sunrise Children's Services and the children whose lives will be touched by these pennies. A Sunrise Children's Services representative may be able to attend a church service where your “penny raisers” are honored. Call ahead!
10. Invite the media to your local bank when you deliver your pennies. Also, send a picture and short article to the Western Recorder and Baptist Children's Messenger or, if the campaign is being sponsored by a missions organization, to the appropriate state and national missions publication.
11. Sunrise Children's Services deeply appreciates your efforts. But, please, don’t send us 84,480 pennies. With churches across the state participating, you can imagine the impact this would have on our business office. Please do send us a check for the amount raised through your campaign.

Mail your gift to:

Sunrise Children's Services
300 Hope Street
P.O. Box 1429
Mt. Washington, KY 40047-1429

If you have questions, please call us at:
(502)538-1200 or
1-800-456-1386 or
donate@kbhc.org