Ellington High Students Raise Funds for Victims of Japan's Triple Disaster

When the sophomore class officers at Ellington High School originally designated April 1 for a dance earlier in the school year, they had no way of knowing what was going to happen only a few weeks prior halfway around the world.

"All of the class officers from each grade got together and brainstormed for ideas for the dance," Junior Class President Alec Weiner said.

"It was maybe a day or so later that the earthquake and tsunami hit Japan and it was just a unanimous decision that the dance should do something to benefit the people there," he said.

The March 11 earthquake off the northern coast of Japan and the tsunami that followed, devastated the region leaving tens of thousands dead or missing. The churning waves, reportedly as high as 27 feet, swept thousands out to sea, leveled buildings and infrastructure and severely damaged three reactors as the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, resulting in radioactive materials being released into the ocean and the atmosphere. The earthquake was reportedly one of the five worst in the world since records have been kept and the worst ever experienced in Japan. 

The 20-member student government thought students at Ellington High School would want to do their part to provide aid during the crisis so the dance became more than a social gathering for students, it became a fundraiser for those in need in Japan. The students donated the proceeds of their fundraising efforts to two established charities: UNICEF, because of its focus on children's needs, and Americares, because the charity provides relief with emergency food supplies.

The student government set the admission price at $7 for admission, $2 of which would pay for the D.J., and the balance would go to the two charities. The price of admission also included free popcorn and cotton candy, a variety of carnival-style games to play, and for $1 extra, students could purchase a slice of pizza. Two teachers and a guidance counselor also volunteered their own time to help out at the benefit.

"It's a hit!" Junior Class Advisor Kandace Murdock said Friday night. "I'm really proud of the student government and am looking forward to working with them on another project," she said.

"We had 274 people attending and over $1,000 was raised," Junior Class Secretary Josie Gerber said the night of the dance, adding that the government leaders would need to get together after the dance to figure out the particulars for dividing out the profits and distributing them to the charities.