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Mesquite students to donate toys to Phoenix Children’s
Youth
BY ALISON STANTON
Thanks to the hard work and generosity of the speech and debate team at Mesquite High School—as well as their coach, other teams and community members—hundreds of kids with cancer will receive a new building block set. Cassie Alber, the speech and debate coach and an English teacher at Mesquite High School, says this is the second year that the team has organized a drive to collect new and unopened building block sets for Bricks 4 The Brave. The organization delivers building block sets made by LEGO and other similar companies to kids with cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Last year, the team collected 200 sets. This year, Alber says Skylar Wise and Ryley Goulet, members of the speech they hope to donate 300 sets to and debate team at Mesquite High School, sit in front of Phoenix Children’s Hospital during building block sets their team is collecting for Bricks 4 spring break. The Brave. Submitted photo Alber says she was inspired to are just fine, Alber says they are hoping support the Bricks 4 The Brave program to donate larger sets that will help a child after meeting the first recipient of one pass the time for more than just a few of the sets. Through a friend of a friend, minutes. Alber met a young boy named Taylor in “We want these sets to be something Colorado, who died from leukemia at the that will help to take their mind off of age of 11. things for awhile,” Alber says. “He was 5 or 6 years old when he was In addition to the speech and debate diagnosed, and he was an amazing young team, Alber says the school’s National man who fought bravely and touched so Honor Society has donated a couple of many people during his life,” Alber says. As a way to honor Taylor, Alber brought dozen sets, as have other teachers and students. Desert Ridge High School’s up the idea of organizing a building block debate team is also donating 50 sets to set drive with last year’s speech and the cause, as are some other teams. debate team. Kimberly Berlat, a board member “They were very receptive to it. I got and instructor with Southwest Speech emotional when I was talking about and Debate Institute, says she feels it, and the students really see this as the Mesquite High School speech and something meaningful and long lasting debate team and Bricks 4 The Brave are “a rather than just going somewhere to perfect fit.” volunteer for a few hours,” she says. “At camp, we constantly emphasize “I’m really moved by their willingness that students should give back and be to work so hard and make this an instrumental in growing communities. effective community service project that With Bricks 4 The Brave, the team is doing is impactful to kids.” exactly that by putting smiles on faces Alber says this year’s donations and providing a creative outlet to kids are coming in steadily; in addition to who really need it,” she says. the building block sets, they are also For more information on Bricks 4 accepting cash donations. March 6 is the The Brave, visit www.facebook.com/ final day to donate this year, she says. Bricks4TheBrave. While building block sets for any age
Sister Cities announces youth ambassadors
doctors and staff. Children can even be a “doctor for the day.” Anasazi Animal Clinic is located at 425 W. Guadalupe Rd., Suite 112, Gilbert. For more information, call (480) 497-0505.
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“I spent hours studying about Arizona, the United States, Leshan and Newtownabbey. I loved learning about something I was so excited to be a part of.” She says she was “excited and nervous” about the impending decision. “The Monday I found out I was going to Leshan was a really long day,” says Allred. “I was so excited and nervous the entire day waiting for my interview and to find out if I was accepted into the program.” After her final interview, a congratulatory phone call was made to her the same day. “I was in shock and I could not stop smiling. I would have been happy to go to Newtownabbey but Leshan was my first choice, so I was ecstatic,” says Allred. Allred has dreamed about traveling for as long as she can remember. She’s very interested in meeting and learning about the people of Leshan and trying their cuisine.
BY LYNETTE CARRINGTON
Four Gilbert high school juniors are preparing to head to Newtownabbey, Ireland, or Lesha, China, as part of the Gilbert Sister Cities youth ambassador program. Founded in 1995, Gilbert Sister Cities allows kids to live with a host family for three weeks. Gilbert high school juniors Ali Allred, Chloe Crawford, Cassie Hancock and Jacinda Shelton were chosen as youth ambassadors and will travel abroad. Katherine Zubler was chosen as an alternate. The ambassadors will live with host families who, prior to the trip, will have housed that city’s counterpart teen ambassador. Allred and Crawford will travel to Leshan and Hancock and Shelton will travel to Newtownabbey. “The application process was a lot of work, but it was such a learning experience and a rewarding one,” says Allred, a Highland High School junior who will travel to Leshan, China.
see AMBASSADORS on page 29
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