On April 22nd the Watkins Glen REACH afterschool program held a “Walk for Ukraine” Walk-a-thon and raised $1,181 for UNICEF’s “Children of Ukraine” campaign.
Prior to the fundraiser, REACH students learned about Ukraine and what the war means on a local, national, and global level. “(Our) students took it to heart and were very eager to help our global community by raising money for the families of Ukraine,” said Watkins Glen REACH Site Coordinator Kimberly Seaman. Students reached out to friends and family to sponsor their walk. Pledges were based on the number of laps each child completed on the Watkins Glen High School track. 38 students cumulatively walked a total of 174 laps (43.5 miles) on the day of the event, with one student walking 28 laps (7 miles) on their own.
The students were joined by the Watkins Glen HS track team, who ran beside them and encouraged them to keep going. Several track members were also inspired to donate money. Additional donations were collected online with the help of CCE Schuyler.
Now that the final donations have been gathered, the money will be sent to UNICEF with the help of CCE Schuyler. All funds will be dispersed to various UNICEF BLUE DOT centers along the borders of Ukraine. These centers cater to refugee families by offering food, shelter, clothing, clean water, and education to children uprooted by the war. If you would like to know more about UNICEF’s “Children of Ukraine” campaign and the Blue Dot refugee centers, visit unicefusa.org
The REACH After School Program is part of the 4-H Youth Development program at CCE Schuyler and works in collaboration with the Watkins Glen School District as part of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers.
