NORWALK | As they gathered Tuesday around a blue spruce tree outside Wolfpit School, roughly 20 fourth- and fifth-graders tied 49 yellow ribbons to its branches.
The youngsters hope the ribbons will make a small difference. They symbolized the 49 Americans who die every day from gun violence.
"I think it's really sad that people die by guns," said 10-year-old Jessica Cichowicz, a fifth-grader. "It's good to do this so people stay away from guns."
The bow-tying ceremony was the culmination of a program called the Day of National Concern, during which Wolfpit students joined others across the nation in signing the Student Pledge Against Gun Violence.
As part of the day's events, the school also kicked off "Kiducation," organized by Community Crusade for Children, based in New Haven. This program collects old clothes and shoes, sells them and then gives some money back to the schools. At Wolfpit School, the money will be used for computers and the library.
Principal Diane Wilson cut a ribbon around the clothing collection box outside the school, while a student threw in the first bag of used clothing to start the year-long program.
"Let's keep filling it up with clothes," art teacher Sheila Wolfe told the students. "Clean out your closets."
Wolfe, who is also the school's human relations coordinator, said the clothes drive, the gun-free pledge and yellow ribbons are all related.
"There's a connection between the needy and those people devastated by gun violence," Wolfe said. "We should be giving life and giving opportunity to others. With our wealth here and with extra stuff lying around in closets ... we should give that away instead of taking away."
Community Crusade for Children is a nonprofit organization that has collection bins in about 200 communities in Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts, according to Paul Holland, placement coordinator. The bin at Wolfpit School is the first one in Fairfield County, he said.
"It was scary when I heard on the [school] announcement that 9,000 people died in the United States" several years ago as a result of gun violence, said Andrew Merritt, a fourth-grader.
"It feels good to take a pledge and to help other children and adults," said Casey Green, a fifth-grader.
Wolfe said the students meet weekly to discuss news events and think of ways to improve the world. In the past, they organized a penny drive for flood and earthquake victims in Nicaragua and Salvation Army food drives.
"I think it makes them aware that they don't have to sit idly by and see people hurt by gun violence or people without clothes," she said.
Wilson added that the program brings out the best in children. "We're trying to encourage children to be responsible," she said, in hopes they will grow into responsible adults.
