RASC Fundraising Drive by local school students

We were learning about earthquakes and Ancient China in school this semester. When we heard about the earthquake in Sichuan, we were all very shocked and felt that was a big coincidence. We wanted to do something for the kids because we felt like we were way luckier than them.  We decided to join the fundraiser, the Rebuild-A-School campaign that PCS launched [for the earthquake victims]. We hope that every kid can sit in a safe and cozy classroom like ours. First, we had a meeting with the principal to get support and then, we distributed flyers to the Intermediate team. We have raised $78.03 from Intermediate students so far. A lot of the money we collected was from our classmates' allowances.  This is the first time we did something like this and it worked really well. We were happy we could help the kids in Sichuan and we hope more kids will try to do fundraising at their schools.

Since the RASC started, PCS student Steven Lu (PY3B) has participated in various fundraising activities. The second day after the campaign started, he donated $100 to RASC, which is all his savings plus matching funds from both mom and dad. He walked through his community and delivered fundraising flyer to all his neighbors’ mailbox. He also distributed fundraising flyers on the baseball and soccer fields where he played sports games. With the help from his teacher, Mrs. King, he held a fundraising campaign in Evergreen Elementary School. He gave speech in every classroom, explaining the devastating condition there and showing the pictures of earthquake victims. After 4 days of hard work, he raised a total of $75 from Evergreen Elementary students and parents for RASC.

中文学校拼音3B的学生卢劭文积极参加了RASC 的筹款活动。在捐款活动的第二天, 他就把自己所有的积蓄拿了出来, 加上爸爸和妈妈各给他等额配款,凑足$100捐给RASC。接着，他又在所住的小区把宣传品发到每家的信箱。他还在参加足球和棒球活动时在球场周围散发宣传品。在他的老师Mrs. King 的协助下，卢劭文在他所就读的 Evergreen Elementary School 进行了募捐活动。他到学校的每个班级演讲，介绍灾区情况。经过四天的募捐活动，Evergreen Elementary School 的学生和家长共捐助了$75 给RASC 用于灾区学校重建。

We thought of the fundraising idea in our school when we heard our parents talking about how the Pittsburgh Chinese School wanted to raise money to rebuild a new school in the earthquake area. We knew it from the news that many students our age got injured and their schools collapsed. We thought we could help them. We spent a couple of hours together making flyers. We talked with our principal so he could let us distribute the flyers. We also talked to our friends to urge them to donate. We have totally raised $1,453.77 from our school and other sources. This is the first time we did something like this and it worked really well. We are happy because we can help them. We hope these kids in earthquake area can feel we care about them.

Jiawen Zhu and Yumeng Zhang

地震发生后，从新闻报道中我们知道许多我们同龄的学生不幸遇难或受伤, 学校建筑倒塌。当听到我们的家长谈论匹兹堡中文学校有关为地震地区重建学校筹集资金时，我们有了帮助他们一起募集资金的想法。我们设计了小传单，征得校长的同意并将传单发给林肯小学的每个学生。我们还鼓励我们的朋友们捐款。我们从学校和其他途径共募集到$1453.77。 这是我们第一次做这样的事。能帮助他们我们很高兴， 我们希望灾区的小朋友能感受到我们的关爱。

朱佳雯 和 张宇萌

During North Allegheny’s last week of school, a group of middle school students, organized by Lily Zhang, developed a fundraiser in Marshall Middle School to benefit the Rebuild-A-School Campaign. Stephanie Metzger, Anjali Premkumar, Katherine Zhou, Carly Fox, and Linda Zheng all participated in this campaign.

The group presented their fundraising efforts to the Student Council, whom agreed to donate $350 to the cause.

Throughout the last week of school, the students put up posters and flyers and spoke at special school events to inform the student and teacher body about the campaign. Also, Lily Zhang broadcasted the fundraising campaign on the school’s daily morning announcements. Donation boxes were placed in the building and brought to school events. Ultimately, the students raised $1067.32 from the fundraiser.

In addition, these students, along with Catherine Zhang (Marshall Elementary School student), are planning to distribute RASC flyers to their neighborhood and hold a raffle in Blueberry Hill Park during the last week in June. All the proceeds will be donated to the Rebuild-A-School Campaign.  Please drop by to support their efforts!

      Marshall Students are making RASC Flyers.  From the left to right are: Lily Zhang,

       Catherine Zhang, Katherine Zhou, Anjali  Premkumar, Linda Zheng and Carly Fox.

2008．5．12 四川汶川地震后，海外的同胞们积极的行动了起来，为灾区募捐。朱佳恺(Kyle Zhu) 是匹兹堡North Allegheny High School 十年级的学生。朱佳恺带领他创办和领导的NAI中华文化俱乐部 (CCC) 发起了历时三个星期的募捐活动。他的倡议得到了学校老师，校长及许多华裔同学们的支持。他们决定用在学校卖奖票抽奖的活动来捐款，与此同时他们还在学校的两个校园里放置了募捐箱。时值学校期末，是这些高中生最忙的时候。同学们都争先恐后动手做礼蓝，轮流排班卖奖票。朱佳恺四处奔走，到餐馆和店家找礼卷，在学校的其他社团的活动上放募捐箱，得到了许多美国同学的帮助和支持。6月5日，在学校老师的监督下，同学们开启了募捐箱， 结算的捐款结果为现金 $476.34。 他们捐来的每一分钱都是学生们自己省下拿出来的，都是同学们为灾区人民解难的一片爱心！NAI 以将现金兑换了支票，把这些捐款放入匹兹堡中文学校举办的 Rebuild-A-School Campaign (RASC) 去帮助灾区的学生们重建学校。

(从左到右：Mrs. Fochler <NAI GOAL Teacher>, Eliana Rabinowitz, Annie Yan, Shanon Lane, Bonnie Yan, Connie Yuan, Jason Chen, Kyle Zhu <NAI中华文化俱乐部创始人及会长>, Jonathan Du, Ms. Serdy <NAI GOAL Teacher>, Stephen Guo。 其他为捐款活动工作的同学还有：Schuyler Cumbie，Marina Fang，Liyan Fan, Lisha Gu，Jen Lee，Lily Peng，Kelsey Steele，Rona Sun，Kevin Xie, Cindy Yuan, Jenny Zeng <NASH>)

After the devastation in China, we felt compelled to help. We started a fundraising event in the North Allegheny Intermediate High School's key club. We were the chairs of the Major Emphasis Committee, which focuses mainly on helping children worldwide. Therefore, we decided that all donations would go to Pittsburgh Chinese School “Rebuild-A-School Campaign” fund to reconstruct a school in the earthquake-effected area.

After six days of campaigning, we raised $185 dollars. We also created a poster to help raise awareness for “Rebuild-A-School Campaign” among the employees of Ansoft, whom donated a total of $3,150.00

Cindy Yuan& Connie Yuan

尊敬的中文学校领导,

我们是NORTH ALLEGHENY 高中十年级的学生.在得知中国四川省发生大地震后,我们感到很震惊和悲痛.我们觉得应该为灾区的小朋友做些我们力所能及的事.我们是NORTH ALLEGHENY KEY CLUB 的主要干部,KEY CLUB

的主要宗旨就是帮助世界各地有需要的孩子们.我们制作了介绍四川大地震的海报,并张贴在学校.经过六天的努力,我们共筹集了$185.我们决定交给匹资堡中文学校,用于为灾区学生盖新的学校.

同时我们也参与了 ANSOFT 公司为地震灾区的集资活动,为他们制作了海报, ANSOFT 公司共集资$3150.  我们希望灾区的学生早一点用上新校舍.

CINDY YUAN, CONNIE YUAN

Pittsburgh North Allegheny Senior High School Students Raise Money for Charitable Donation to “Rebuild-A-School Campaign” for China Earthquake Children

A powerful 8.0-magnitude earthquake jolted southwestern China on Monday, May 12, 2008. This devastating earthquake claimed, so far, more than 65,080 deaths with 23,150 people still missing.  Many schools were destroyed, trapping and burying hundreds of students inside collapsed schoolhouses. Such horrendous disaster struck the consciousness of people around the world including that of North Allegheny Senior High (NASH) School Students in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Binghui Zhang, Sea Dong, Jeff Lin, Ian Preston, and Dana Preston are 11th grade students in the NASH School. Inundated with horrific news from the epicenter in China, they decided to raise funds for charitable donation to victims of the earthquake through a carwash.

They coordinated the carwash fund-raising activity at McDonald’s, 10529 Perry Hwy, Wexford, PA this past Sunday, May 25. Joined by a group of 22 classmates, they voluntarily washed one car after another in the heat of the sun. Although it was a “Free Carwash for China Earthquake relief” as indicated by their posters, all car owners made generous donations.  After five hours of hard work, the students raised a total of $806.00.

They will give the full amount to the "Rebuild-A-School Campaign” (RASC), organized by the Pittsburgh Chinese School (PCS) and joined with Chinese Faculty Association in Pittsburgh (CFAP), Chinese Association of Science and Technology Pittsburgh Chapter (CAST-P) and Greater Pittsburgh Area Sichuan and Chongqing Association (GPSCA) .  As part of their fundraising efforts, Binghui Zhang and Sea Dong have also sent out hundreds of letters to their neighbors and local companies around the Pittsburgh area.  They stated in their letter: “Although we here in the United States are not able to directly help with the relief efforts in China, donations can greatly benefit the reconstruction efforts…with the collapse of many school buildings in that region, many students are now unable to continue their education. As high school students here in the United States, we strongly believe that education is a vital step for the future of the region.  Therefore, our objective is to raise funds for the Rebuild-A-School Campaign”. 

Although the amount of money they raised from carwash is just a small fraction of the amount needed to rebuild a school, it demonstrates the compassion of our students and their dedication to charity and humanitarian contributions to earthquake victims in China.

In addition to these students from North Allegheny Senior High (NASH) School, students from other schools such as North Allegheny intermediate School, Marshall Middle School, Evergreen Elementary School, Shady Side Academy Middle School, O’hara Elementary School and Lincoln Elementary School are also in the process of fundraising for earthquake children to support ‘Rebuild-A-School Campaign’. 

“Free Car Wash” for China Earthquake Relief from NASH Students

Front row, from left to right: Angela Turo, Courtney Quisenberry, Cherry Bharati, Dana Preston, Brittany Sturgess, Rachel Simeone Back row, from left to right: Kelly Gilmour, Natalie Masters, Bill Lenart, Kevin Liu, Chen Zhao, Sea Dong, Jeff Lin, Binghui Zhang, Peter Wu, Stephen Gou (Students Ian Preston, Li Xu, Michael Park, Andy Fishell, Genny Luo, Andrew Wu are not shown in the above picture)