via CAAI News Media
Team Cambodia raising funds for the Milton School
By Kevin Mertz
Published: Friday, March 5, 2010
MILTON — “We say we left our hearts in Cambodia.”
Those words, by Milton Area High School senior Nicole Unroe, describing the strong emotions a contingent of students and chaperones felt as they left Cambodia in 2008, serve as a testament to the importance of an upcoming fundraiser.
The high school’s Team Cambodia will hold an all-you-can-eat spaghetti dinner from 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday, March 13, in the high school cafeteria.
Mike Conn, a high school history teacher who spearheaded a fundraiser which netted over $35,000 to build The Milton School in Cambodia, said the goal of the dinner is to raise several thousand dollars to add a new classroom and to buy a computer for the Cambodian school.
Conn said Milton’s efforts to raise the funds to build a school in Cambodia were the result of a summer trip he made to the nation several years ago.
“I was touched by the lack of opportunity for education for the kids we saw,” he said. “I mentioned it to my AP history class the first day of school. I showed them the images (from Cambodia).”
His students were immediately moved to action and formed Team Cambodia. The group partnered with American Assistance for Cambodia, a nonprofit organization which has built 450 schools in Cambodia.
Conn said Team Cambodia contributed the money which was raised through a variety of fundraisers in the Milton area to American Assistance for Cambodia. The organization used that money to build a three-classroom school, known as the Milton School in Cambodia, in Kampong Cham.
Work on the school was completed on Dec. 10, 2008. One day later, Conn said he and the group from Milton arrived in Kampong Cham to see the result of their fundraising effort, and to take part in the dedication of the school.
Some of those who participated in the educational trip say it’s an experience that changed their lives forever. It’s also the driving force behind their continued fundraising efforts for the school.
“It opened our eyes to go over there and see how much something a school like that means to them,” Unroe said.
Tenth-grader Elaine Waldron also participated in the trip and was moved by the passion the children in Cambodia had for their new school. In the United States, Waldron said many kids take school for granted and don’t appreciate the educational opportunities they have.
“Most of the kids (in Cambodia) had the biggest smiles on their faces,” Waldron said. “You could tell they loved their clothes, they wore uniforms.”
Conn said the spaghetti dinner is the only fundraising activity Team Cambodia is holding this school year. He said it will take around $9,500 to fund the construction of another room and to purchase a computer for the school.
He said if the dinner raises several thousand dollars, an organization in Asia will match that money to fund the addition at the school in Cambodia.
Conn said Milton and surrounding communities were very generous with their support of Team Cambodia. He and the students involved in the latest fundraising effort are hopeful that support of the Milton School in Cambodia will continue for years to come.
“I’m hoping people don’t forget about the school,” senior Sarah Haas said. “It’s not just this fun little project we had.”
Haas was among the group from Milton to make the trip to the school and said those who went will always have a special tie to Cambodia.
“We got to see what we did (through our fundraising), not just us, but the entire community,” Haas said. “The (school) kids, we got to interact with them. It felt so good to know we made a difference.”
Kellie Brouse, a social studies teacher at the Milton Area High School was involved with the fundraising efforts, and also went on the trip to Cambodia in 2008. When she saw the school in Cambodia, and the students who attend, Brouse said she was very proud of what the local community had accomplished through the fundraising efforts.
“It was one of the most gratifying things I’ve done in my career,” Brouse said. “It was one of the most worthwhile things I’ve ever seen.”
Conn said he was also proud to see the results of the student’s efforts. Today, over 300 seventh- and eighth-grade students attend the school. He said that’s double the number of students who initially attended the school, hence the need for the expansion.
Haas is hopeful the spaghetti dinner will not only raise the necessary funds to finance the expansion, but she also hopes it will serve as a reminder to local residents that their continued efforts are needed to help ensure the children of Kampong Cham continue attending school.
“Don’t forget about Cambodia and don’t forget about the children,” Haas said.
Tickets for the spaghetti dinner are $6 and may be purchased in advance by contacting the Milton Area High School at 742-7611.
Donations are also being accepted. Checks, made payable to Team Cambodia, may be mailed, in care of Mike Conn, to the Milton Area High School, 700 Mahoning St., Milton, Pa. 17847.
Staff writer Kevin Mertz can be reached at 570-742-9671 or e-mail
No comments:
Post a Comment