Frights and scares on Friday the 13th for a great cause
“Individual commitment to a group effort: That is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.” — Vince Lombardi
The Event Committee is a student-body lead team that is part of Student Council here at EF Academy New York. As the communication link between the student body and faculty, the Event Committee caters to the main interests of the student body. These interests are discussed during committee meetings and they brainstorm any possible ideas that can be made into reality. One such idea was to host a fundraising event in order to donate to the Hurricane Maria Relief Fund of the American Red Cross for Puerto Rico. With so much devastation left from Hurricane Maria, the Event Committee felt it was necessary to help raise awareness and funds for the families and individuals suffering from the aftermath.
With only three days to plan, organize and advertise the fundraising night, our Event Committee decided on the theme of Friday the 13th. It was no wonder that the film category of choice that night was going to be horror and the movie to be played was Ouija: Origin of Evil. Posters advertising the movie were put up all around campus and members of the Event Committee began selling tickets for the event on Wednesday, October 11th during study hall. Tickets were sold at $1 before Friday at 5pm and then prices were raised to $2 when bought at the door. Each ticket included a seat to watch the film, a slice of pizza and a fountain drink. Sales leading up to the event went really well and continued on even through a fire alarm late on Thursday night’s study hall.
With so much positivity surrounding the fundraising event, students were coming together and purchasing tickets to support a great cause. On the evening of October 13, students started lining up to have their tickets marked and grab a slice of pizza as they entered the theater. Students got to enjoy some music while enjoying their food. Once every student in attendance was feed, Sofi G spoke to the audience to thank them for attending and informed them that the Event Committee had raised over $200 for the Hurricane Maria Relief Fund! It was a great accomplishment for the Committee to pull off a successful event with three days time! Soon after the lights dimmed and the film of the night began to play.
Seeing the Committee pull off the ‘Friday the 13th Movie’ event showcased the teamwork skills present in our Student Council! It is important to have fundraising events organized by the students because it helps build their communication and leadership skills while also addressing issues that are deeply important to them. That evening, students from all different backgrounds gathered together for a movie night filled with food, laughs and screams all for the purpose of raising funds for those suffering in Puerto Rico.