BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- All the funds, collected during the two-week period, benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. The program is called Pennies For Patients and Rosedale Middle School has raised a lot more than pennies.

Students across the country are collecting pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters during the pennies for patients campaigns benefiting the society. The students and staff at Rosedale Middle School raised more than $2,400.

Mary Smizer's homeroom class brought in the most money in the school. The students donated their allowance from baby sitting and house chores. The students dug a little deeper because they found out that somebody on staff has leukemia.

"We know that we are trying to help that person out, it's our family, so we wanted to help and support our family members," said Mary Lou Long, teacher at Rosedale Middle School. "The closer you are to the person, the more it moves you. It's one thing when you hear about somebody's tragedy, but it's very different when someone is close to you gets a disease," said Andrew Adriance, a student .

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is the world's largest voluntary health organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research. "It really stimulates research. All of the money coming from these young children is going to help stimulate research. And that how everything comes back around and helps the patients in the community," said Dr. Ravi Patel of the Comprehensive Blood and Cancer.

The mission for the society is to improve the quality of life of patients and their families. Pennies for Patients taught a valuable lesson for some students at the school.

"Get out there help your community. The more people come together for a cause, they can make a difference and make the world a better place," said Adriance.

The students in Smizer's class will get a pizza party for donating the most money. Since 1994, millions of dollars have been raised in pennies and other spare change by more than 10 million elementary, middle and high school students throughout the country.