SUBURBAN CHICAGO STUDENTS RAISE $50,000 TO BUILD SCHOOLS IN HAITI 14-year old High School Freshmen Continues to Organize
Students to Help Reach $90,000 Goal
-Schools to be completed in 2010 by Free The Children-
Chicago, IL – (March 16, 2010) Students Hearts for Haiti (www.studentsheartsforhaiti.org), a non-profit volunteer organization founded by a 14-year old high school freshman announced today that the organization has raised $25,000 through the collective efforts of six area schools in west suburban Chicago. Started a few days after Haiti’s devastating earthquake, to date, $25,000 had been raised through the sale of cookies, T-shirts, wristbands and other fundraising efforts. The $25,000 is being matched by The Moyer Foundation through their “Helping Hearts Campaign” that was created to specifically help child victims of the devastating earthquake in Haiti. "This was the worst disaster I’ve ever seen and I felt an obligation to help in some way” said Kaley Shannon who, along with 14 members of her church youth group, baked and sold 2,000 heart-shaped cookies at local train stations, raising $3,200 the first day. “We designed and provided t-shirts for the volunteers and soon kids started asking if they could buy them.” To date, 1,500 T-shirts and 2,000 wristbands have been sold. Recently, six more schools joined the effort to help achieve the group’s “90 in 90” goal of raising $90,000 by April 12th, the 90 day anniversary of the earthquake.
“The Moyer Foundation is all about “Kids Helping Kids,” and we strongly encourage and support any philanthropic efforts lead by children,” said Karen Moyer, Co-founder of The Moyer Foundation. “We are proud that the Foundation’s “Helping Hearts Campaign” for Haiti is a part of Free The Children’s efforts to help build schools, because the children of Haiti need our help now more than ever. The work is just beginning. We hope that more children will follow Kaley’s inspiring example of leadership, and will get involved to help support this effort and other causes that help children in their own communities.”
To build the schools, Students Hearts for Haiti has partnered with Free The Children under their Adopt of Village development model. In addition to providing two classrooms complete with desks, supplies, teacher resources and pay, the $50,000 donation will also provide water filtration facilities and latrines; mobile medical clinic and supplies; community and health education; plus $5,000 funding for an Alternative Income program providing microenterprise funding to generate family income and enable families to pay tuition to offset school operating costs going forward. Ninety-one cents of every dollar donated to Free the Children goes directly to projects. Free The Children has committed to starting construction of the school immediately following Haiti’s rainy season and completed in by end of this year.
“It’s amazing to see the passion and commitment in so many young people like Kaley” says Craig Kielburger, Founder, Free The Children. “The people in Haiti need us now more than ever and the funds raised through Students Hearts for Haiti’s incredible efforts will benefit so many other young people in Haiti. We are truly grateful for all your efforts – thank you.”
To purchase a T-shirt, make a donation or learn how your school can get involved with this student-created and student-led initiative , visit www.studentsheartsforahaiti.org or find “Students Hearts for Haiti” group page on Facebook and Twitter.
About Students Hearts for Haiti Student Hearts for Haiti was formed in January, 2010 in response to the tragic Haitian earthquake. Started by 15 members of the Western Springs Baptist Church youth group, this initiative quickly grew to involving fourteen public and private schools in west suburban Chicago all coming together in a community-wide effort to help build schools for their fellow students in Haiti. Students Hearts for Haiti is a non-profit, all- volunteer organization registered with the IRS (#27-1859785). To learn more about Students Hearts for Haiti visit www.studentsheartsforhaiti.org
About The Moyer Foundation - Celebrating 10 in 2010: 10 years of helping children in distress The Moyer Foundation – (a public, 501 c 3 organization) headquartered in Seattle, WA, was founded in 2000 by World Series champion, Major League All-Star pitcher, Jamie Moyer and his wife, Karen. The Foundation’s mission is to provide comfort and support to children enduring a time of profound physical, emotional or financial distress. With the community’s support, The Moyer Foundation has raised over $19 million to assist hundreds of local programs that directly serve the needs of children in severe distress. In addition to community grants, The Moyer Foundation also created and funds Camp Erin, the largest bereavement camp in the country for grieving children and teens; Camp Mariposa, for children affected by addiction/substance abuse in their families; and community partnerships such as The Gregory Fund – for early cancer-detection research. The Moyer Foundation raises funds through many special events, corporate partners and individual donors. One hundred percent of individual donations benefit children in distress. www.moyerfoundation.org About Free The Children Free The Children is the world's largest network of children helping children through education, with more than one million youth involved in innovative education and development programs in 45 countries. Founded in 1995 by international child rights activist Craig Kielburger, Free The Children has a proven track record of success. The organization has received the World's Children's Prize for the Rights of the child (also known as the Children's Nobel Prize), the Human Rights Award from the World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations, and has formed successful partnerships with leading school boards and Oprah's Angel Network. For more information visit www.freethechildren.com.
Contacts:
Students Hearts for Haiti
Dan Shannon - dan@StudentsHeartsforHaiti.org