Helping Children, Saving Lives: UNICEF

Coach+to+Cure+MD+fundraiser+t-shirts+Brayden+Hester%2C+UNICEF+member%2C+helped+create.

Coach to Cure MD fundraiser t-shirts Brayden Hester, UNICEF member, helped create.

Hallie Hicks, Reporter

Tsunamis, tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, and floods – children in Third World Countries are experiencing disasters and fatal diseases daily, whether it’s occurring in the town they live in or in their own bodies. However, they won’t face these problems alone. Students here at PHS have started a new UNICEF club to do their part to help.

Elysse Gregor is a sophomore whose passion for helping people was sparked in her freshman year. She proceeded to reach out to her friends Lauren Russell, Chloe Henery, and Brayden Hester as well as the Leadership and 9th Grade English teacher, Mrs.O’Leary. Elysse decided to take a leap and create a UNICEF club.

“It’s a great cause; UNICEF stands for United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund,” said Chloe Henery.

They fund not only well known countries but most Third World Countries as well. Every year there are things called Student Summits for groups who are really into UNICEF. These summits serve as student workshops to help teens become more comfortable with fundraising and helping other people.

“If the group grew there would be student summits,” said Elysse Gregor. But, until then, Peninsula High School’s UNICEF Club meets in room 515, every other Thursday. This UNICEF club is not just about helping raise money for Third World Countries, it’s about spreading awareness and getting everybody involved.

“I didn’t remember what it was about until the summer when I researched about it and Elysse kinda told me the gist of it,” said Brayden Hester.

The people in charge of this club don’t only help out with raising money for UNICEF. Brayden Hester helped out with the fundraiser for Coach to Cure MD. At the football game on Friday, Oct. 3,. Braydens younger brother who suffers from Muscular Dystrophy was rolled onto the fifty-yard line to call the coin toss and was one of the captains for the night. The club is working hard to involve everyone, even other students involved in UNICEF clubs from different schools.

“My hope is that it just gives PHS students more opportunities for volunteering,” said Mrs.O’Leary.

She is also hoping to get students enough opportunities to gain volunteer hours and be eligible for National Honor Society. O’Leary plans on helping the students and club make a difference in the world.   
“(I want to collaborate) with the UNICEF organization and just use the outline of their mission to create positive projects,” Gregor said.