West Side School students raise over $700 for Valley Fire victims fund
As the Valley Fire unfolded, a fourth grade class at West Side School took matters into their own hands and started raising money for victims of the Lake County disaster.
“Moved by their compassion to take action, the students met with me to figure out how to help,” West Side School Principal Rhonda Bellmer said.
From there, the students of Lamiel Bjorkquist’s class, under the guidance of long-term sub Gina Wagy and parent volunteer Molly Brown, started creating sketches, paintings and works of art on pieces of tile, rocks and plaques. The masterpieces started being created on Sept. 18, just six days after the fire began.
“They were really interested in hearing about the Valley Fire,” Wagy said. “We had daily reports hearing about what was going on. I think they were very concerned and more than willing to put themselves out there to help.”
On Sept. 23, the class began a three-day, after-school fundraiser, which included a choose-your-own-price art sale of their creations and sales of school T-shirts and sweatshirts.
At the end of their efforts, the students raised $762.14 that was then donated to the Lake County Fire Victims Fund.
“We are happy to send this check to you to help the people and animals affected by the fires,” said “Pedro, for my fourth grade class,” in a letter sent to the disaster fund.
Bjorkquist, Wagy and Bellmer were more than impressed with the initiative of the students, and how through every step of the project they remained enthusiastic and self-motivated.
“It helps all the people, and if we do it again to raise money we could give it to more shelters and more people,” fourth-grader Mia Lopez said.
Her peers Triston DePriest and Hailey Webb added that they learned helping others is a fun, selfless act.
“It taught us how hard natural disasters can be to humans and animals,” Hazel Niaki said, who worked as the fundraiser’s cashier and also created some of the sketches.
“I am so moved by my young students’ sense of purpose, and also impressed with what a small group of committed young people can get done,” Bellmer said.
Bellmer reflected on how close the project, and the Valley Fire in general, was for the small school, which had a major fire itself in 2007.
“Although on a completely different scale, we know firsthand of the after-effects of this kind of disaster,” Bellmer said, noting that although the fourth-grade class is too young to remember the school’s disaster, their actions embody the spirit of the campus and of their rebuilt Phoenix Hall.
“It also taught us that a little can go a long way,” said fourth-grader Grace Kelder.
