Proceeds to Pay for Education, Books, Food and Clothing
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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – September 1, 2011 – Mount Airy, MD – Like the rest of the world, Thomas Conger was shocked and saddened by the devastating earthquake that killed over 300,000 people in Haiti on January 10, 2010. However, unlike most first-graders, Thomas decided that emptying his piggybank was not enough. For the past 18 months, Thomas and a group of students, parents and teachers at Mount Airy Christian Academy in Maryland have been developing a stuffed toy that they hope will provide a long-term and sustainable fundraising source for their fellow students in Haiti.
Three months prior to the earthquake, Thomas and his schoolmates had been matched with Bethel Christian School, an elementary school in Bassainthe, Haiti, (a small village near Gonaives) through an organization called the International Partnership Ministries. “Our students had already started raising money to buy Bethel School some sports equipment, like jump ropes and balls” said Vicky Webster, Principal of Mount Airy Academy. “When we heard about the earthquake, we realized the students would need the money for food, clothing and shelter instead.”
Thomas, however, wanted to do more. “I wanted to bring joy to the people of Haiti. They are really good people and have really good music. Sometimes doing good is just not good enough. We have to do great things for people in need,” Thomas explained.
Thomas loved stuffed animals and saw a stuffed toy that his mother had just tested for a client’s campaign. He asked his parents if he could do a similar project, and create a stuffed animal to raise money for his sister school in Haiti. After discussing his idea with Principal Webster, his art teacher Jenny Farrell, and some of his fellow students at school the Compassionate Youth for Haiti (CYH) was formed with the goal of initiating the “Friendly Fins Helping Haiti” campaign. The team was soon immersed in meetings about mission statements, product development, branding, fabric choices, manufacturing options, distribution, pricing, marketing and sales.
Mary Farrell, who was a middle school student, drew the first rendering of the toy. “I sketched a manatee that we named ‘Janti’ and showed it shepherding a smaller fish,” Mary explained. “We wanted the toy to symbolize the love of God that we show when we care for those who are suffering, and that the people we help are comforted by compassion.”
Thomas’ mother, Diana Conger, noted that “This was an incredible opportunity for these young people to create, manufacture, and distribute a real product, with real-world problems and challenges that every small business faces. It was an invaluable learning experience fueled by their determination to help their fellow students, and we are so excited to finally be ready to launch,” she concluded.
The group’s goal is to raise enough proceeds from Janti to be able to send another check to Bethel Christian School via International Partnership Ministries and their missionaries, Rev. Lucien and Maude Saul, before January 10, 2012, which is the second anniversary of the earthquake. The students of CYH hope that Janti will prove to be as popular as the focus groups indicated so that sales will continue and the group can continue to send checks every year.
“Students who attend the Bethel Christian School receive an education, books, clothes for school and a meal. For many students, this is their only meal for the day and many students stuff their pockets to take food home to their siblings. One hundred dollars is enough to sponsor one child for the whole year at the school” said Principal Vicky Webster. “We are hoping Janti will help support students in Haiti in the long term as they try to rebuild their lives.”
The official launch of Janti will occur at Mount Airy Christian Academy on September 1, 2011, to coincide with its “Back to School” night. All proceeds resulting from the sale of Janti will go towards education, books, school supplies, clothes for school and food for the students. Please visit http://cyh.macamd.org/ to see how you can purchase Janti or to sponsor a child at Bethel Christian School in Haiti.
About Janti:
Janti, which means “gentle” in the Haitian language, is the name of the stuffed toy comprised of a manatee lending a helping hand to a smaller, fellow fish called Haiti. The design of the toy draws a comparison to how we can help our friends in Haiti, and focuses on hope and compassion. The manatee’s blue color represents stability, trust, loyalty, faith, and healing. The smaller fish is stitched to it to represent the love of Jesus.
About the Compassionate Youth for Haiti:
The Compassionate Youth for Haiti (CYH) is a group of students, teachers, and parents associated with the Mount Airy Christian Academy in Maryland who initiated the campaign “Friendly Fins Helping Haiti.” Drawn together by Thomas Conger, a first grade student who wanted to create a long-term, sustainable fundraising venture to benefit the academy’s sister school in Haiti, this group has worked from concept to development over the past 18 months. Group members include Thomas Conger and his fellow students Jessie Brown, Mary Farrell, Kate Webster, Dani Cook, Isaac Cook, Jeremy Cook and Heather Mower, along with adult facilitators Jenny Farrell, Diana Conger, Tom Conger, Robert Kelley, Tamara Cyran, Rebekah Lenington, and Vicky Webster.
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