One of the strongest reasons not to abolish low-value coins -- cents in particular -- was that charities would lose the coin most often donated to their organizations.

Now that Canada has abolished their cent coin, Canadian charities are launching, as expected, fund-raising campaigns for donations of the idle cents no longer useful for making purchases. In Sudbury, one of the first of these campaigns, is seeking ten million cent coins to underwrite the cost of a therapeutic pool at a health center clinic.

The campaign began with school children, with selected industries targeted next, including construction and mining sectors. The goal of obtaining 10 million cents is ambitious, but now that the cents are obsolete this can be a strong reason to gather those from the top of dressers, stored in jars and boxes, or even squirreled away in closets.

After all the cents are taken out of circulation charities might even learn that donations might increase with only higher coin denominations available.

Here is the Sudbury story seeking 10 million cents: Needed: 10 million pennies(www.thesudburystar.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3572730)