When Hurricane Sandy ravaged the East Coast last fall, Creek Valley Elementary fourth-grader Lily McGurran didn’t despair. Instead, she found a creative way to help. With the support of principal Kari Dahlquist, the 9-year-old organized a read-a-thon fundraiser for the school with proceeds going to the American Red Cross to help the storm victims. The goal was simple: Each participating student would read between 50 and 150 minutes per week, and collect $10 worth of donations, which could ultimately bring $6,000 in aid to the East Coast.
“I felt sad for the people on the East Coast because the hurricane damaged so much,” says McGurran, who introduced the idea for the read-a-thon at her school’s pride day. “It took a lot of courage to talk in front of the school. Although I was scared, I knew it would help Hurricane Sandy victims.”
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To help the Red Cross aid those affected by Hurricane Sandy, visit redcross.org/hurricane-sandy.
