Number of Participants: 50
Hours Donated: 2
Value of Time Served: $845
Event Amount Raised: $2,884
Event Type: Poverty & Homelessness
Sport: Team
Date: July 6, 2016
Location:
108 Merrick Avenue Merrick
New York 11566, United States
About:
Students and student athletes at Chatterton School in the Merrick School District raised more than $3,000 through the sixth-grade “Acts of Kindness” fundraiser to provide Reagan, an elementary student in Kenya, with another year of schooling through the nonprofit organization Reason2Smile.
The Class of 2015 embarked on this journey last year, providing Reagan with a full year of schooling, supplies and the opportunity to learn in a classroom.
According to its website, Reason2Smile’s mission is to financially assist impoverished orphans and at-risk children living in developing countries with a safe living environment, proper nutrition and a good-quality education.
With a fundraising goal of $300 – the cost of sending an elementary child to school for an entire year – sixth-graders held a two-week “Acts of Kindness” fundraiser in which students found sponsors to support their kind acts. Students recorded their acts of kindness, and sponsors contributed a flat rate for their participation or assigned any dollar amount of their choosing for each act performed. To supplement the effort, sixth-graders of Deborah Cain’s and Victoria Ryan’s classes sold Kenyan crafted and Reason2Smile bracelets over the two weeks. The bracelets symbolized community, with an emphasis that all people are connected in some way.
On the final day of the fundraiser, Donna Rosenblum, CEO of Reason2Smile and a former Chatterton parent, paid a special visit to the school. She spoke to students about Keela Dates, the founder of Reason2Smile, discussed her own involvement in the organization and encouraged students to get involved with an organization they feel passionate about. Following her presentation, the Class of 2016 presented Mrs. Rosenblum with a donation check for $2,884.85 from their Acts of Kindness fundraiser, Kenyan crafted bracelet and Reason2Smile bracelet sales. After presenting Mrs. Rosenblum with the check, the sixth-graders raised an additional $350 from their bracelet drive.
The district commends these students for their benevolent acts and extends its gratitude to all of the Chatterton School faculty, administrators and sixth-grade teachers who made this event successful.
Photo Caption: Chatterton School Class of 2016 representatives (from left) Alex Vieni, Gianna Scheffler and Gina Grimm presented Reason2Smile CEO Donna Rosenblum (right) with a check for $2,884.85 from their Acts of Kindness fundraiser, Kenyan crafted bracelet and Reason2Smile bracelet sales to support the education of a Kenyan student.
Photo courtesy of the Merrick School District
