High school fundraising efforts aid hurricane relief

BY DAVE BENJAMIN
Staff Writer

Schools in the Freehold Regional High School District are continuing their relief efforts for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

At Howell High School, the Student Council began by tracing and cutting out construction paper hands. These hands were then sent, along with an envelope, to every homeroom in the school. Homeroom teachers asked students to buy a hand, each sold for $1. Once a hand was purchased, the student put his/her name on it and hung it outside the homeroom. Students raised $600, which was donated to the Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund.

Students involved with Freehold Township High School Student Government Association collected money through Helping Hands. Each homeroom received a packet of hands and students donated $1 per hand. The hands are displayed on the cafeteria windows. The first homeroom with 100 percent participation in the hands effort will get a breakfast purchased by Principal Elizabeth Higley.

Student members of the Junior States of America have been collecting food and toiletries. The Octagon club has been collecting clothing. Football parents have collected donations at home games, food and toiletries, while the cheerleaders held a fundraising car wash.

Marlboro set up a variety of activities for students who wished to participate in fundraising activities: collecting money during lunch periods, at home football games, and at Back to School Night. Additionally, each club made a monetary donation to the fund-raising effort.

“Our high school collected money for the Hurricane Katrina victims,” said Marlboro High School Student Council publicity chair Margot Lazow. “We collected well over $4,000” for the American Red Cross.

The students also worked with the Concerned Citizens of Marlboro and collected ready-to-eat food, as well as water, cleaning supplies, blankets, towels and clothing.

Sponsoring the activities were the Marlboro High School Student Council, peer leadership classes, and all of the student run clubs.

At Freehold High School, Freehold Borough, the Italian Club sponsored a volleyball tournament on Oct. 20 to raise money for hurricane victims. The idea came from students in the Italian IVH class. The entry fee was $36 per team and food and beverages were sold to raise additional funds.

The National Honor Society has collected money at football games and the child development class donated baby related articles for the food pantry.

At Manalapan High School, students collected $2,500 in donations. More than 250 pounds of baby care items were collected and given to an area food pantry which sent the items, via truck, to victims in the south.

“Relief and Recovery” bracelets will soon be for sale at the high school and an effort to collect dog food and cat food for shelters housing animals that were abandoned during the hurricane is expected to be initiated. A benefit faculty vs. students basketball game scheduled for February.

Groups involved include the peer leaders, Echoes, Gay-Straight Alliance, Cancer Society, the Israeli Club, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the Italian Club, the National Honor Society, the Outdoors Club and the United Cultural Awareness Club.

Donations will go to the American Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity and a family who was displaced by the hurricane.