"Mr. Harris, can we not wear our uniforms?" This request is not uncommon, but what came next, and who the request came from, was. The request came from Susan Whitely, fourth-grade teacher. Her class had read about a school raising money for Haiti by allowing students to pay not wear uniforms, hence the question.
Cascade Christian Academy faculty in Wenatchee, Wash., decided students could pay $2 per day for one week not to wear their school uniforms, with all proceeds going to relief efforts in Haiti. By the end of the week the students raised $1,000. One student brought in a $100 check. "They really got excited about raising money for this cause," says Whitely.
Once the money had been raised, school members discovered a unique channel for the funds. The local Wenatchee (Wash.) Rotary club's world community service committee was purchasing water filtration and purification systems for distribution in Haiti. At a cost of only $50 each, these units provide up to 500 gallons of potable water a day, and it's even cleaner than U.S. bottled water.
Students were excited the CCA check for $1,000 to the Rotary club will go a long way to help provide these water filters for the people of Haiti.