Patch Bridgewater, NJ --The Bridgewater-Raritan High School Student Council recently raised about $1,500 selling shirts to support the restoration of the Jersey Shore after Superstorm Sandy.
According to Olivia Di Iorio, student council president, the board had come up with several ideas to raise school spirit at the high school, but not many of them had originally been approved by the administrators.
One of those ideas though, Di Iorio said, was to hold a spring pep rally with an opportunity to do a fundraiser.
“Our idea was to have a whole Restore the Shore theme, and each grade would be wearing a different bright colored Restore the Shore shirt, and have beachy-themed spirit days during the week,” she said, adding that the school normally only has a fall pep rally.
Although the pep rally itself was not approved, the student council decided to still move forward with the t-shirt idea.
“We decided to sell these t-shirts to teachers, students and families throughout the high school,” she said. “They cost $15, and, for each shirt bought, $5 is donated to the shore.”
Di Iorio said she wanted to extend this fundraiser and make it bigger for the community, so she reached out to advisors at the Bridgewater-Raritan Middle School, who also got involved.
“Since every high school and middle school in New Jersey is going to Six Flags on May 16, the high school and middle school from Bridgewater are going to support our Restore the Shore theme shirt on our field trip,” she said.
Di Iorio said she originally heard about this fundraiser through her aunt who lives at the shore. She said it was perfect for Bridgewater because students understand the effects of Superstorm Sandy.
“Unfortunately we all had to go through a terrible two weeks without power, water or school,” she said. “A lot of us students, including teachers, either have family, friends or even have their own house down at the shore that got damaged.”
“And even if we don’t know someone involved with a house, most of us go to the beach during the summer, and now our beaches are ruined,” she added.
In total, Di Iorio said, they have sold 300 royal blue t-shirts, for a total of about $1,500. All the money is going to Blue Wave Printing in Toms River, which is donating the $5 from each shirt bought to restore the beaches.
Di Iorio said she is proud of how involved everyone has been.
“I am so happy Bridgewater got so involved with this fundraiser because not only is it for a good cause, it shows how caring we are as a community,” she said.
“The amount of support we got from each student and teacher was amazing,” she added. “Every penny counts.” Reported by Patch 2 hours ago.