Wheaton North’s Ukraine Fundraiser

By: Josiah Cook

The ongoing Ukraine crisis has prompted an outpouring of support to refugees from organizations across America, but the Wheaton North Red Cross Club’s Ukraine fundraiser has allowed students to donate to support humanitarian efforts without having to search far and wide. According to Luci Bernel, president of the club, “we decided to put the fundraiser together when the Ukraine crisis was just beginning and it honestly felt like a great window for our club to have a direct impact on a current global crisis, given that the Red Cross is one of the biggest aids to people during times of war and disaster.” Direct action is one of the best ways for the students in the Wheaton North community to support a cause that students care about, and as she said, this was the perfect outlet to highlight the presence of the Red Cross Club as an organization at the school and the fact that they are actively trying to make a difference in the lives of others who are in need. The club first displayed signs in the commons advertising their fundraiser in bright, eye-catching paint that reminded people that there was an opportunity to donate to a charitable cause. At lunch, milk jugs were placed on tables during lunch periods to raise funds if people felt inclined to donate. After all of their efforts, the club ended up with $207.04, which is a significant amount of money. Despite the fact that high school students don’t make that much money on average, the number reflects the generosity of everyone who donated and the fact that they weren't at all afraid to step up and support a cause even though it’s happening on the other side of the world. In her final statement, Luci echoed that sentiment, stating that the “we were humbled by the amount of students who instantly gave up change and dollar bills to help the efforts. We feel really blessed to be in a school where people are so willing to give up their conveniences to help people they’ve never met, and that’s taught us a lot since then.” A little generosity goes a long way, especially to support an incredibly important cause like the health and safety of hundreds of thousands of people, so thank you everyone who donated to this cause!.