(Newswire.net — January 22, 2014) Singapore, Singapore The Executive Service Council, a student-led service council at Singapore American School (SAS), collaborated with other student-led groups such as Wish for Kids, Global Issues Network, and Gawad Kalinga, as well as faculty, parents, and community, to raised $85,000 for Cebu in a mere two and a half weeks.
Wish for Kids, one of SAS’ oldest service clubs, has travelled to Tabuelan, on the island of Cebu, in the Philippines every year at Thanksgiving for more than a decade. This year, Typhoon Haiyan devastated Cebu and destroyed every village, hut, and farm in its path. So, instead of their planned trip, they raised funds to help the school and villagers in Tabuelan.
Fundraising activities were held throughout the school under the auspices of the high school Executive Service Council, which oversees school-wide fundraisers for natural disaster assistance. Executive Service Council, Wish for Kids, Global Issues Network, and Gawad Kalinga student leaders collaborated quickly and efficiently to orchestrate every aspect of the fundraising campaign, also giving students valuable real-life executive skills.
High school and middle school Global Issues Network students played major roles in designing the fundraising icon and advertisement poster. Middle school Global Issues Network (GIN) students, with facilitation from their high school GIN big sisters and brothers, created the Coin Craze for Cebu, a wildly successful event raising more money than any single endeavor.
In the high school, they held an event called Empty Bowls, where in exchange for purchasing a handmade ceramic bowl, each person received a free lunch. The Gawad Kalinga club held a Zombie Run and set up a Facebook page and a PayPal portal to make it easy for SAS community members to donate online. There were many ways and options for people from the SAS community and beyond to contribute generously to these relief efforts. And Wish for Kids and high school art students designed and made a palm tree thermometer on campus to advertise fundraising progress.
The synergy among student groups working together from kindergarten to twelfth grade to raise funds is typical on the SAS campus. Clubs from several divisions and many classroom teachers created original fundraising campaigns with their students to pool donations in the school-wide fundraiser.
“When we think of the Philippines, we remember the lessons taught and the games played. We remember the smiles and joy of the children we meet every year. We remember the small moments that make great memories. Thinking of these great memories, we were devastated upon hearing of the destruction brought by Typhoon Haiyan,” shared a SAS Wish for Kids club member.
“These people’s only wealth was a one-room nipa hut, the clothing on their backs, and the education that they cherished. Our friends, who worked endlessly towards breaking the poverty cycle in their lives, were only pushed further into it after losing everything in the storm.”
The monies raised allowed 300 families, an elementary school, and a high school to rebuild their homes and school roofs and gave them a steady water supply.
Former SAS faculty members and Wish for Kids sponsors, Nanette Ruhter, who with her husband, Jim, was in Tabuelan for SAS Community’s Day of Giving, “Our initial Thanksgiving relief went well. One hundred thirty families were recipients of SAS and CISS largesse. It was a happy thanksgiving for these families. They lined up as early as 8:00am. Thank you very much to the SAS community and to Roger Tu of CISS.”
Established in 1956, the school primarily serves the American and international expatriate communities of Singapore. SAS is registered with the Singapore Council for Private Education, affiliated with the Office of Overseas Schools through the U.S. Department of State, and is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).
For more information about Singapore American School visit www.sas.edu.sg.
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Singapore American School
Singapore, Singapore