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McDonald High School students make a difference
By Denise Dick
MCDONALD
McDonald High School senior Jake Reckard believes one person can make a difference.
His theory proved correct, though he had some help from others at the school.
“I believe that people really do want to help – they just don’t know where to start,” said Jake, 18.
By selling T-shirts and taking donations, Jake; his sister, Emily, 15; and their friend Gianna Pizzulo, 18, raised about $900 for a school in Guatemala.
The Reckards’ older sister, Abby, is a Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala.
“She was home for Christmas, and she showed us pictures,” Jake said. “They just have the bare essentials, not much at all.”
The children at the school lack school supplies, and their metal school building has no electricity.
Jack and Emily wanted to help. Their sister told them it costs about $300 for one year of electricity.
“I said, ‘We could do that just with the people at this table,’” Jake said.
He contacted teacher Jody Conway, who helped them organize the fundraiser. They sold about 200 T-shirts, mostly to other students and staff at the high school and elementary school.
The blue shirts read “Give Light to Others” and bear a drawing of a light bulb.
The money raised will be sent to the Peace Corps, and Abby Reckard will complete a grant application so the organization will complete the electricity project.
It’s expected to light the small school for about three years.
“It’s amazing that our small community can come together to do something so great for someone,” said Gianna, also a senior.
The experience taught the three McDonald students how fortunate they are compared to people in other parts of the world.
“The smallest things that we have every day, they don’t have,” Emily said.
Jake and his older brother, Jared, 23, plan to visit Abby, meet the family with whom she’s living and see the school in early June.
“It’s going to be awesome,” he said.
Both Jake and Gianna want to continue humanitarian efforts, possibly with mission trips. Emily wants to follow in her sister’s footsteps and join the Peace Corps.
“One person really can make a huge change,” Emily said.
Jake is quick to point out that many people participated in the project. Conway arranged and the school board and high school and middle school principals allowed the students to sell the T-shirts to raise the money. Gianna worked on some of the less-glamorous, behind-the-scenes aspects of the project such as posting fliers and contacting homerooms.
Jack and Emily collaborated on the T-shirt design and the fundraising events, and their mother, Kerry, posted it on Facebook to bring in more sales.
Big sister Abby played a crucial role, too.
“I had never heard of the Peace Corps before Abby joined,” Jake said. “Abby gave us the opportunity to help.”