Give these kids an “A” for attentiveness! A group of Fort Lauderdale fourth and fifth-graders decided it wasn't such a sweet idea to finance their field trips to Washington, D.C. and Tallahassee by selling candy, an all-too-common method of fundraising for many school children.

The students at North Side Elementary apparently took to heart the lessons they'd learned about the importance of eating healthy. The 2 year-old program, called Schools of Wellness, teaches kids about the need to exercise and eat right. Clearly, the program is having some impact.

The 10 year-old ringleader of the bad food boycott, Daphnie Auguste, explained “If they tell us to don't eat junk food and then after school we sell it, that disobeys what they said.” But Daphnie acknowledged that the kids are paying a price for their principles. “I'm sad because how are we going to get the money to go on our field trip?”

Cheer up, Daphnie. Here's a lesson in the power of the press. After learning of the students' refusal to sell candy, Veronica Atkins, widow of diet guru Dr. Atkins, today presented a $16,000 check to Daphnie and her classmates.

“I was so proud when the children said you're telling us not to go out and eat sugar and then you ask us to sell it,” Atkins said last Monday. “I said no way am I going to let them down and not let them go on the field trip.”

Other donors have stepped forward as well, including one anonymous donor who gave $6,000. The fourth graders still need to raise another $8,000 for the Tallahassee trip, but it looks like the fifth graders will be able to make their field trip to D.C.

It's nice to see we can still have a Capra-esque ending in this country, and one that's not even sugar-coated!