Education

Local Students raise money for non-profits

Posted: Feb 5, 2013 6:09 PM by Adam Bell

After given $100 apiece, 4 local students find ways to raise money for non-profit organizations.

If a teacher hands a student a hundred dollar bill and says you are going to have a life changing experience with this money, you might be a little skeptical. But for 4 Sacajawea 8th graders, that's exactly what happened."

"Oh my gosh, what am I going to do with this?" says 8th grader Erin Sofianek.
Ben Holmgren says "I was like freaked out, I didn't know what to do."
"At that point, I was really surprised," adds Evin Morris. Sophia Josephs describes the moment saying "I was in complete shock," after all 4 8th graders got $100 to help fundraise for a non-profit of their choice.

A hundred dollars in their hands, now the challenge was to use that money to fundraise money for a non-profit of their choice.

Sofianek says "I found the organization Build On." Holmgren chose "Play For Hope, which helps kids in Rwanda." Josephs picked "Shodair Children's Hospital, I helped out their library," and Morris picked "The local Warriors in Quiet Water Project, and Pat Tillman Foundation."

Now you know where the money is going, how to you raise those funds?

The students answered that question saying "Help the library because I'd make a bigger impact," says Sophia. Erin adds that she "Decided to hold a dance to help raise money for it." Evan said he "was going to do locks and keys, so it would be kind of a raffle." And Ben chose an "Indoor soccer tournament."

While the project may be over, some continue to find ways to give.

Erin says "I'm in the process of making a YouTube video. I'm going to post and send to people across the country and ask them to do the same thing, to help raise the money necessary to build the school."

"I ended up making in all $1,100, and it's definitely going to keep going," adds Ben.

$100 dollars and 90 days later, these student's lives are changed forever.

"We could really make a difference, because like we can give these kids that we are going to build a school for in Nepal. WE can give them a chance to become doctors or teachers. You know every kid has a dream, but these kids, all they know is working in the field," says Sofianek

Holmgren adds "It really opened my eyes to see what other kids are living with, like in Rowanda."

"I actually made an impact on a hospital, which is a cool thing I guess," says Josephs.

"I really think it was life changing, because I learned people skills, I called people I didn't know, and my self-confidence, just really went up," says Morris.