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53 °F Forecast | Road Cams Friday, January 28, 2005 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Opportunities Moving to Southern Oregon? MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend January 11, 2005 North Medford High School freshman Jaesha Belka models a scarf that is being sold by students at the school as a fund-raiser for disaster relief in areas struck by the Dec. 26 tsunami. Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell An outpouring of help From scarf sales to cash drives, local schools raise funds for tsunami victims By ANITA BURKE Mail Tribune Students at North Medford High School have turned a campus courtyard into a fund-raising center for victims of a tsunami that swept the Indian Ocean Dec. 26. All this week they will sell colorful scarves to raise money. They plan a movie night Thursday at the school auditorium and an ongoing coin drive. They’re asking local businesses to match the funds they gather, with the total proceeds to go to Save the Children, a Connecticut-based charity that is aiding disaster-stricken areas. "We just wanted to be able to help," said Amber Wihtol, 18, a senior in the leadership class who helped organize the fund-raiser. The need to help echoes across Rogue Valley campuses. From elementary school to college, students are stepping up with coin and cash drives, benefit performances and other fund-raisers. Wihtol said students came up with North’s projects and took their plans to teachers who oversee leadership and student government classes and Key and Sparrow clubs. They tapped student funds to buy bright cloth with patterns reminiscent of those seen on saris and made scarves. Advertisement Students could get a scarf for a donation of at least $3. One girl handed over a $20 bill, Wihtol said. Others planned to come back each day to buy a different color. "Tomorrow I’m going to buy another one to match another outfit," said sophomore Anika Keller, 15, who had a blue and green patterned scarf slung around her hips Monday. "I think it’s good that our school is doing this," said her friend, Kaci Sevano, 15, also a sophomore. "I wanted to help and a lot of people are asking how to donate." South Medford High School rounded up about $600 for Portland-based Mercy Corps with a lunchtime cash collection Friday. Hanby Middle School asked each student and teacher to donate $1, a simple effort that would net about $300, an amount that a local business has promised to match. At Southern Oregon University, the Oregon Student Public Interest Research Group will collect donations at Stevenson Union through Thursday. They are challenging every student to give at least $5 and hope to raise $2,000 for Oxfam. Several elementary schools in the Eagle Point district are collecting coins. The coin drive at Talent Middle School has a twist: in exchange for student donations, teachers promise to face "Fear Factor"-style challenges such as an obstacle course and meetings with snakes and tarantulas at a school assembly. Ashland Middle School plans to donate the proceeds from a skate night at Roller Odyssey tonight. Several Ashland High School students are organizing a community concert and dance starting at 6 p.m. Jan. 21 at the Historic Ashland Armory. Senior Andrew Ainsworth, 17, and junior Christina Lacy, 16, have teamed up with the city, civic clubs and performers from the community, high school and SOU to produce the event. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door. All money will be donated to UNICEF. Reach reporter Anita Burke at 776-4485, or e-mail [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Student Loan Consolidation Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers