Lunch6.jpg
Lunch61.jpg
Lunch62.jpg
Lunch63.jpg
Lunch64.jpg
A small taste of hardship
Cayman Prep students sacrifice regular lunch, donate money to tsunami victims
EMPATHY. Cayman Prep students had only water and rice last Friday in an effort to connect with
the young people in Asia who are suffering as a result of the December 26 tsunamis. Prep students
donated their lunch money to Cayman Loves Children, a local charity that is raising funds for
tsunami relief work.
By Guy P. Harrison
The Cayman Islands may be half a world away from the victims of the December 26 tsunamis that
took more than 160.000 lives and left millions homeless, but that distance apparently means little to
the students of Cayman Prep High School. Motivated to offer both empathy and tangible help, they
look part in a unique fundraiser last Friday.
The students sacrificed a normal lunch menu and gave their lunch money to local charity group
Cayman Loves Children. They also solicited donations. In all, more than $700 was raised. The fast
was organized by the school's Key Club, the youth arm of the Kiwanis Club. Lasting from 10:30
am to 3pm, most students ate only a minimal lunch of water and rice during that period.
"We all live on the same planet" said Lauren Moore, a 14-year-old in the tenth grade, "We are all
humans. Obviously we should care about them [tsunami victims]."
Chad Gibbs, 12, echoed that same philosophy. "We should care about children in Asia because we
should look after everybody on Earth. It's the right thing to do." He added that he was proud to see
his classmates doing something for children in need faraway. Gibbs donated $4 to Cayman Loves
Children.
Cameron Seymour, 12, says the people of the Cayman Islands are fortunate given the devastating
hurricane that struck here last September. "We are lucky compared to them," he said.
Chelsea Walton, a 14-year-old member of Prep's Key Club, believes we could have been in a
similar state of devastation. "If the hurricane had been even worse for us we would want them to
help us, to care about us. I think it's very sad what they are going through and I think this is a very
positive thing for us to do."
Mrs. Arthurlyn Pedley, a guidance counselor at Cayman Prep, says the tsunami disaster has been on
the minds of students and they "rose to the occasion" to help. She says she is proud of the students
and thanked Champion House Restaurant for donating the free rice meal.
Champion House manager Mr. Lourenco Silveira seemed touched by the students' actions. "It is
good to help others." he said. "You never know, tomorrow might be my day."
Mrs. Pedley added that the Cayman Prep staff and teachers were very supportive of the effort At
least one teacher. Mr. Trevor Lindsay, committed to a 24 hour fast. "There is so much suffering in
Asia right now. For at least one day I think we can try to relate at least a tiny bit to what they are
going through."
The following students helped organise the fundraiser: Meghan Potkins, Shivonne Nixon. Clelsea
Walton, Megan Duty, Ally Pellow, Josh Echenique, Monique Brooks, Jodi Ann Jackson, Camille
Bodden. Jillian Scott and Catherine Hinds.
Cayman Loves Children is a Cayman Islands charity group that raises money and awareness for the
world's poorest and most endangered children. Over the last two years, Cayman Loves Children has
delivered more than US$40,000 in donations to UNICEF on behalf of the people of the Cayman
Islands. Donations received through 31 January, 2005 are being sent to UNICEF's Asian tsunami
fund and NGO’s currently in the field helping tsunami victims.
Cayman Loves Children maintains a website at www.caymanloveschildren.8k.com
Donations may be mailed to: Cayman Loves Children, PO Box 30383 SMB, Grand Cayman,
Cayman Islands.
Source: Cayman Compass 18 January, 2005