2021 Charity Week introduces new fundraisers
(Photo credit: Peggy Bonbrisco)
May 24, 2021
Senior Jack Ugval was one of the many attendees who enjoyed Grosse Pointe North and South’s Dog Walk on May 2. The event consisted of a two-mile walk near the school, time for attendees to peruse through a variety of pet store booths set up by local vendors, a chance for owners to capture memories in a photo booth, and the appearance of North’s mascot, Thor. Ugval said the walk and all its surrounding activities were beneficial for the pets, the school, and the community.
“We got a bunch of treats for the dogs, and we took some really nice pictures on Lakeshore,” Ugval said. “I think it got a lot of people together and raised a lot of money.”
The Dog Walk was the main fundraising event for North and South’s Charity Week this year, an annual tradition of fundraisers and school-spirit-themed events run by the schools’ Student Associations. All proceeds went to the Grosse Pointe Animal Adoption Society, which North English teacher and SA advisor Johnathan Byrne said was chosen in order to keep the community a central part of the event.
“The students wanted to choose a charity that had a strong connection to the local community,” Byrne said. “[Grosse Pointe Animal Adoption] seemed like the perfect fit.”
Although they chose to leave fundraising goals out of the agenda for this year’s Charity Week, according to Byrne, North’s SA earned over $4,000 for the charity by the end of the event. Byrne said he was proud of the group’s accomplishments, especially regarding their determination and creativity.
“The creativity from the students was astounding,” Byrne said. “They weren’t going to let anything get in their way of raising money to help the animals.”
Along with the Dog Walk, SA organized several other fundraisers and events. These included a Tin Can Auction (consisting of baskets donated by various groups from the community) and the Cookie Monster Day (the traditional Union cookie sale).
Many elements of these events had to be adjusted to meet COVID-19 restrictions, according to junior and newly elected Class of 2022 President Shannon Kane.
“COVID-19 definitely was a big factor to consider while planning our events,” Kane said. “For example, cookies and breadsticks [for the different fundraisers] had to be wrapped individually.”
Despite the challenges brought about by COVID-19 restrictions, Kane felt SA did a great job in reinstituting some of North’s most memorable events. Kane was personally excited to bring back the sale of Union cookies at the Cookie Monster Day, as she explained it was a tradition greatly missed by North students.
“We still raised a lot of money for the charity despite the circumstances and COVID-19 restrictions,” Kane said. “I think all of SA was very pleased with the result.”
