Mock guards await the transfer of Fundreds.

By JAMES SAUNDERS, UPP Editor—

On Friday Provo High School handed over $800,000 in Art Cash to a unique armored truck.

Students from Provo High and other schools around Provo and Utah Valley have been participating in The Fundred Dollar Bill Project under the direction of Art teacher James Rees.

The project is raising nationwide awareness of the environmental threat of lead contamination and lead-poisoning in the soil of New Orleans. This contamination puts children at risk of learning disabilities and behavioral problems. The end goal of the project is to convince Congress to spend the roughly 3 million dollars needed to clean up every lead contaminated property in New Orleans.

“Here is a way for children to vote with artistic expression by requesting that money from congress,” Rees said.

Fundreds are hand drawn, original interpretations of the U.S. $ 100 bill. These uniquely designed bills are collected, stored and then transported to a unique armored truck via guard escort.

Fundred

This special armored truck has been retrofitted to run on waste vegetable oil from cafeteria fry cookers collected by the official Fundred Collection Centers. The whole journey will travel thousands of miles across the U.S. before presenting the collections to the Congress with a request for an even exchange of the creative capital for US dollars to clean up the properties.

Contemporary artist Mel Chin, one of the main designers, helped to start Fundred after visiting New Orleans and discovering the high amounts of lead contamination in the soil.

“This project started for me about three years ago after meeting Mel Chin,” Rees said. “Contemporary Art gets people to change the way they think about the environment.”

To get Fundred Templates, track the armored truck and the number of Fundreds nationwide, visit www.fundred.org

View more pictures of Provo High’s Fundred Experience