The Special Olympics was selected by club leaders and Student Council members as the charity for Charity Bash 2014.
Charity Bash is being held for 10 days in February. There will be various fundraisers to raise money for the Special Olympic charity, such as the auction wall and turnabout. Special Olympics has a lot of personal connections to the high school. Many students have great experiences with the Special Olympics, such as Merrick Howarth, sophomore student council member.
“I have an uncle with Down syndrome and we go to the Special Olympics. He enjoys it so much and I know that there are kids here that have Down syndrome also. It’s really cool that our fundraising can directly benefit those students,” said Howarth.
Last year, thirty-nine different fundraisers were held to raise money for Charity Bash over the course of a month. This year, about 40 fundraisers are being held over two weeks in order for students to get more involved according to Christopher Bennett, Student Council sponsor.
“[Charity Bash] is still in February, but we’re going to make the first big week the week that we do all of the lunch activities like lunch games and student auction. The second week we will have the dodgeball tournament, the talent show, and the other big activities that are favorites of everybody,” said Christopher Bennett, Student Council sponsor.
The high school is where the most fundraising takes place, but middle school student councils and some grade school classes help raise money for the charity also. Lake Zurich High School has students who have participated in the Special Olympic Games before, which is another reason why Special Olympics was chosen for this year’s Charity Bash.
“We have a lot of Special Olympians in our building that you walk by in the hallway every day. We’re going to help raise money for their competition and make sure Special Olympics can continue to do the things they do,” said Bennett.
The other charity finalists were March of Dimes, which helps premature children, and Fragile X, which is a genetic disorder that causes learning disabilities. Overall Special Olympics received the most votes and was selected as this year’s charity.
“Lake Zurich has hosted the Special Olympics, so I think that is a big factor on why a lot of people voted for it,” said Jon Gaide, Senior and Student Council Member.
Though the main goal of Charity Bash is to raise as much money as possible for a worthy cause, it also is a great way to bring students together.
“I like how everyone in the school works towards a common goal and helps people. It’s like kids helping kids,” said Gaide.
