ANDOVER, Mass.—The Phillips Academy Disaster Relief Initiative’s November fund-raising campaign, dubbed A Month of Giving Thanks, A Month of Giving, has come to a close and, according to PA’s Director of Community Service Chad Green, the effort raised more than $21,000, which will be used to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina and victims of the South Asian earthquake that devastated towns and villages in Pakistan and India.
The Phillips Academy Disaster Relief Initiative is made up of a coalition of campus departments, organizations and clubs that have worked together and separately over the course of the last several months to sponsor various types of fund-raising events. In addition, they have also conducted educational events that provided a chance to discuss the long-term environmental, social, political and economic consequences of these disasters.
In announcing the success of the Month of Giving campaign, Green noted, “A response of this magnitude was made possible through both the tremendous generosity of our community and the tireless efforts of many students, faculty and staff. As with our tsunami relief efforts last winter, it is significant that the final amount raised is the product of literally hundreds of individuals who contributed to these efforts.”
Among the fund-raising events that took place during the campaign were a “Takeout Night” sponsored by AndoverTakeout.com, an auction and a Sadie Hawkins dance sponsored by the campus-based Oxfam organization, a Thanksgiving Worship Service sponsored by the chaplaincy, and a joint Diwali/Eid festival dinner sponsored by the IndoPak club. Nearly $2,000 was donated from book sales made during a campus visit by Pulitzer Prize-winning author David Halberstam, who came to talk about his newest book, The Education of a Coach. Head of School Barbara Chase added another $3,500 to the pool when she canceled an annual holiday open house for faculty and staff in order to donate the money used to host the event to the relief fund.
The money raised for disaster relief will be distributed to six organizations that are either directly involved in rebuilding or that were directly affected by these natural disasters. These organizations are:
- The American Red Cross
- Oxfam America
- Habitat for Humanity
- KIPP: Knowledge is Power Program
- St. Isidore’s Catholic School in Baton Rouge, La.
- Focus Humanitarian Assistance
More information about the six recipient organizations can be found by clicking here.
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