Sarah Jacques
Round Table editor
Lately, the world has seemed to be in disarray. A tsunami has rocked the Hawaiian islands of Honolulu and Oahu, storms have raged across Europe, and icebergs are breaking off of the coast of Antarctica.
The world has been ravaged with natural disasters in the first three months of 2010 alone. But, while the earth may be breaking apart, the people of the world are coming together.
Countless charities, businesses, and organizations have teamed together, hoping to raise money to donate to countries affected by natural disasters. UNICEF has announced a plan to raise $3.5 million to aid Chilean children affected by the destructive earthquake that recently occurred in February. Yéle Haiti, a charity created by Haitian-American musician Wyclef Jean, has also assisted in the plight by distributing over 400,000 gallons of water throughout the small island.
These actions may seem intimidating and perhaps impossible when looked at through the eyes of the average teenager. Many students worldwide wish to make a difference in the world by assisting in areas of devastation, but feel that such monumental contributions cannot be achieved by mere adolescents alone.
But the students at Middletown High School are no average teenagers. Together, the students raised an astounding $955.37 for Pennies for Patients, a charity that donates money to cancer patients, and several hundred dollars for the victims of the Haitian earthquake.
The students collected money for Haiti over a few weeks in two large buckets at lunch time, and have been donating money for cancer patients during their third block classes. The students usually donate small amounts at a time, but they have quickly raised large sums for the causes.
MHS students have really shown that they care about the causes. Other people might have used their extra five dollars to buy candy bars and gum, but the students at MHS willingly donated their cash to the victims of the Haiti earthquake and cancer victims instead.
The adolescents have shown care that not many in the world possess by their outreach to victims from around the world. The money raised will dramatically improve the lives of those affected by disasters after they receive the cash.
Middletown students have recognized that it is almost impossible for one lone individual to raise hundreds of dollars to influence a cause. But, together, they have the willpower and strength to change the lives of the devastated forever.
