GreaterGood
By Emily Chow ‘08
Community Comes Together to Offer Support Locally and Internationally
A
On a mid-April weekend, Glenn Reddy, grade 8, and members of Peace2Peace organized a now-annual garage sale at the Reddy residence. Through the two-day garage sale, Peace2Peace raised $1,200 to give to the Shriners Children’s Hospital, a nonprofit network of 22 hospitals that gives aid to children with orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries and cleft lip and palate. “Over the past few years, we have raised money for places in Uganda,
Advised by English teacher Steve Hewitt, the group solicited items to sell at their sale, asking for everything from toaster ovens to “velvet, glow in the dark Jimi Hendrix [artwork] that your spouse can’t stand” in their creative announcement. Their philosophy: “One man’s garbage is another man’s treasure.” People donated dining room tables, clothes, televisions and games, and Peace2Peace made $800 on the first day. Items left over from the two-day sale were donated to a local Goodwill. Peace2Peace teaches students that initiative and effort can go a long way. Jeton Gutierrez-Bujari, Jeremy Binkley and Alex Thomas, all grade 8, and Service Club members Sophia Shatas, Hannah Baz and Christina Andrus, also all grade 8, helped Reddy organize this year’s sale.
50
Photo by Joe Connolly
Photo by Ashley Batz
“Peace2Peace has been an overall great experience for me,” Reddy said. “It has taught me how to work under time constraints, gain strong leadership skills and how to handle responsibility.”
H A R K E R Q U A R T E R LY
S U M M E R 2 0 11
Photo by Joe Connolly
Costa Rica and India,” said Reddy, who has spearheaded the program since its inception. “We sat down and realized this year that people need help locally and not just in other countries. Since I have been a patient at Shriners myself, I recommended the Shriners hospital as a group to donate to.”
s the school year came to an end, the Harker community continued to give back to the surrounding Bay Area with a range of charity drives and fundraising events, as well as a few that focused on providing aid to those afflicted by the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan.
The middle school also held the fifth annual Cancer Walk in April, raising more than $7,340 for Camp Okizu, an organization dedicated to providing support for the childhood cancer community through recreational retreats and mentorship programs. The class of 2011 continued the traditional toiletries collection for the San Jose Family Shelter, collecting extra toothbrushes, toothpaste, soaps, hair care and shaving items in bins located around the upper school campus, and Red Cross held a blood drive in March. At the same time, first graders collected toys, pillows and general pet supplies for the Humane Society of Silicon Valley. “They [the Humane Society] were thrilled,” said Rita Stone, grade 1 teacher who delivered the donations in early April. “It was hard for them to believe all the items I kept pulling out of my car.” In addition to a car full of pet food and goods, the first graders also raised about $615. “I think Harker first graders really did make a difference, and it was easy to see how very much it was appreciated,” Stone wrote.