Fighting to Save Children in Africa
Recently
the Capital District Board of Trustees voted to discontinue
the printed version of the Capital Builder. This decision
comes on the heels of a recent survey to which many club
members responded with some excellent arguments both
for and against doing away with the Capital Builder...Harrisonburg
High School Key Club Honored For Their Good Works
by Kate Prahlad
(Harrisonburg High School Key Club members were honored
during the Association of Fundraising Professionals Shenandoah
Chapter's
2008 National Philanthropy Day. Pictured clockwise from
bottom left: Key Club Vice President Thi Do, Reporter Khezran
Kirmani,
President Rupal Patel, Motivator Meredith Rose, Treasurer
Tina Nguyen and Secretary Jenny Nguyen.)
HARRISONBURG - Tough economic times haven't hindered the Harrisonburg community's philanthropic efforts.
That fact was celebrated Monday at the 2008 National Philanthropy Day Recognition Ceremony, sponsored by the Shenandoah Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
Six awards were handed out to individuals, groups and businesses that all demonstrated a commitment to the community through their leadership and philanthropy.
Youth In Philanthropy
The Harrisonburg High School Key Club won the first Youth In Philanthropy Award, which recognizes service by youths through age 18 who demonstrate outstanding commitment to the community through leadership.
The group, which has about 40 core members, is working on a project this year called "Soles4Souls."
Members are collecting gently worn shoes to be shipped both domestically and internationally, and they've got around 400 pairs of shoes already collected, said Tony Antonnicola, the group's adviser. The group's goal is 1,000 pairs by the end of the year.
Last year, the club was recognized as the world's second-ranking Key Club in raising funds for UNICEF. In 2007, the club raised more than $6,000 for UNICEF's Kick HIV/AIDS Out of Kenya campaign, geared toward educating young Kenyans about the disease.
"This is definitely an honor," said Rupal Patel, a 17-year-old senior at HHS and president of the club. "We do a lot around the community and it's nice to be recognized, to know that someone's watching."
The diverse group of kids all volunteer loads of time and donate their own money to the projects, Antonnicola said, something that should be noticed.
"People are quick to write kids off," he said. "Sometimes the good gets overlooked."
