~ by Snowden Bishop ~
An enthusiastic group of students from Aspen Middle School in Aspen, Colorado raised a grand total of $1,329.10 for Friends of Africa International in May as part of a Community Service Involvement Program aimed at teaching the children about charitable causes and volunteering. Lead by teachers Bente Doolan, Teresa Cavaleri and Kamal Marsh, the students organized four separate fundraising activities from several base camps including a breakfast bake sale, a raffle, a run-a-thon and a jump-a-thon.
“The students collected donations from their families and community members, describing the cause for which we were fundraising. For the raffle, they sold raffle tickets, collected donated raffle prizes and then conducted the raffle. Then students ran four miles around the aspen golf course or jumped rope with a variety of rope skipping tricks and activities to celebrate their efforts and the cause,” said Bente Doolan. “We are so amazed and impressed with their dedication and effort to continue this relationship with the Pokot children.”
“It was awesome to see how hard our students worked to raise the money for the Pokot Project,” said Kamal Marsh. “All of them were so happy to be part of this great endeavor.”
Friends of Africa International founder and chairman of the Board visited the school in May to talk to the children about the Pokot children and the first school recently built by Friends of Africa International. At the presentation, the children learned that, until recently, Pokot children had never seen computers, books or classrooms; that most had never even seen a doctor. She said, “Words cannot describe how thrilled I am with the amazing effort of the students and Kamal, Bente and Teresa. We are so grateful that they took such an interest.”
Bishop acknowledged that the money raised is just the beginning, that much more fundraising is needed to complete what will be the only medical clinic in the Western Pokot region. But the money raised by the children will make a huge difference, and will certainly be appreciated by the Pokot children. Bishop will inform Pokot leaders of the efforts at Aspen Middle School on their behalf when she returns later this month.
Founded by Aspen residents Bonnie Bishop and Scarlet Adams in 1988, Friends of Africa International is a 501(c)3/NGO nonprofit that supports wildlife conservation, environmental protection, cultural preservation and humanitarian causes in Africa. To learn more about the Pokot project and Friends of Africa International, click here. Friends of Africa International is grateful for the efforts by Aspen Middle School Students!