By Riley Burns and Mary Austin
Staff Writers
Do you want to help poor illiterate children? Then make a bookmark in the back of the Jamesville-DeWitt High School library. For every bookmark that is created and sent, the Bezos Family Foundation is donating $1 to save the Children’s Literacy Boost program in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. This fundraiser sponsored by the J-DHS Book Club ends on March 18.
“We really wanted to do an activity within book club to help the greater good and especially other people around us,” said club adviser and school librarian Mary Panek. Ms. Panek is really looking forward to seeing the J-DHS community come together and make a difference. Vice President of the book club, sophomore Melissa Gao, says this fundraiser provides the children with basic reading skills that they wouldn’t otherwise aquire. Club treasurer, sophomore Lauren Nandel helped set a reasonable goal for the club for how many bookmarks could be made. “We set a goal to make over 100 and we’ve already surpassed that and hope to keep it going until the final day,” said Nandel.
However, this fundraiser wouldn’t be possible without the help of the students. For example, senior Dylan Volk made a bookmark. “It was an easy thing to do to keep me busy in study hall and i even passed the word on to my friends about it as well,” said Volk. Freshman Abby Leavitt agrees with Volk. “I think the whole thing is awesome and for a great cause,” says Leavitt. “You’d be crazy to not want to make one,” said Leavitt.
The Bezos Family Foundation uses all the money that is made to put education into action. Their purpose of the foundation is to improve the future of life for children. This Foundation is not to be confused with the Jeff Bezos of Amazon ownership. Although he is on the board, his parents run the foundation.