Working on changing the world for the better

These last two months have flown by for the students at Lawrence Woodmere Academy. Our student body has taken part in several school-wide events and activities aimed at uniting us, while helping the greater community.

Some of these events included a raffle to raise funds to donate money to help in sending clean water to places affected by the many hurricanes, raising money for eNVy, which stands for Embracing Noble Values for Young People, and a breast cancer “Pink Out” encouraging students to become informed about the disease, while showing their support and contributing money to an important cause.

Having led two of the school’s first fundraising events, the Helping Hands Club has been a vital part of creating a positive school environment. The club is also the most popular club within our school, with 25 percent of the students being members. It meets every Thursday, and focuses on how to sharpen our community inside our school, and just as importantly outside our building.

The Hurricane Relief raffle was open to both students and faculty. Local restaurants, including Craft Kitchen and Taphouse,  Kasey’s Kitchen and Cocktails, Friendlier Pizza, Pantano’s Kitchen, and Milan’s Brick Oven Pizza, generously donated gift certificates to be raffled off. A total of $450 was raised.

The “Pink Out” not only united our school, but also informed our school with fact posters to remind students how prevalent breast cancer truly is. Pink gear including necklaces, tattoos and headbands were sold.

eNVy is an organization that hits close to home. Patti Vacchio, the school’s administrative assistant, started eNVy. It was inspired by her son, Nick Vacchio, and works on supporting young adults to reach their goals, while providing them with scholarship opportunities and motivational programs.

Many of our students donated and were allowed to wear something green instead of LWA’s uniform dress code. To earn this privilege, students and staff were asked to donate $5 to eNVy. The fundraiser collected $440. A photograph was taken of all students who participated

Our school has and will continue to focus on helping others and giving back to organizations and people who need assistance. Giving back is a vital part of our community along with understanding how fortunate we are. Lawrence Woodmere Academy students aspire to the words attributed to Mahatma Gandhi: “If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him … We need not wait to see what others do.”