Flushing school laces up for fundraiser
St. Kevin’s community already gearing up for walk with goal of helping UNICEF in mind
Students of St. Kevin Catholic Academy in Flushing during their 2018 walkathon fundraiser. The school is already planning for this year’s walkathon which organizers hope
will also benefit UNICEF and its services. Photo courtesy of St. Kevin Catholic Academy
BY JENNA BAGCAL
A Flushing Catholic school
is gearing up for its annual
walkathon this October.
According to Eliana Space,
a member of the academy
parent association at St.
Kevin Catholic Academy,
parents raise money for the
yearly event to help out the
school. But now, they plan to
broaden their focus to include
the global community.
Parents ask local
businesses, family and friends
to donate money that goes
toward keeping tuition costs
low and this year, purchasing
outdoor equipment for the
students. But Space shared
that the walkathon chairs
Tara Camisa, Stephanie Lelia
and Jocelyn Shafiroff propose
a service idea that would also
help the less fortunate.
The chairs suggested that
the school purchase UNICEF
Kid Power bands for the
students to use during the
walkathon. The bands track
each child’s movement, which
is converted into points
and add up to lifesaving
packets for food for severely
malnourished children.
Kid Power Up activities
are short videos that kids do
while wearing the bracelet.
Ten Kid Power Up activities
adds up to one packet of food
for a child in need, according
to UNICEF.
Space said that SKCA
is currently trying to find
a sponsor to purchase the
$28.99 bands for their nearly
300 students. The bands
would cost about $5,500, but
procuring a sponsor has
been difficult.
“Unfortunately, it’s been
kind of hard since many
companies and organizations
don’t tend to donate to Catholic
schools,” Space said.
SKCA’s new principal,
Allison Murphy, endorsed
the effort and said it was
important for the school to
promote Catholic tenets like
the Corporal Works of Mercy.
“It’s important to live
them,” Murphy said. “The
students don’t usually
have firsthand experience
with poverty. The bands
will be a physical reminder
of the things they have and
the things that others do
not have.”
The principal’s philosophy
is that it’s the school’s
responsibility to help its
students become contributing
members of society.
In addition to incorporating
the UNICEF bands, Space said
that kids can participate in a
morning Zumba class prior
to completing the walkathon
around the school. Students
will also receive prizes and
partake in other fun activities
during the course of the day.
To learn how to donate to
help the school get UNICEF
Kid Power bands, email
the APA at SKCA.APA@
gmail.com.
Reach reporter Jenna
Bagcal by email at jbagcal@
qns.com or by phone at (718)
260-2583.
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