(Pictured above: Seaway District High School teacher Sarah Fernetich and student Charlotte Wood hold a copy of the basic design for the Threadz 4 Haiti T-shirts students are creating to raise funds to help earthquake victims in Haiti.)

(Iroquois) - Students at Seaway District High School touched by the devastation in Haiti following the recent earthquake are extending a helping hand to Haitians as they struggle in its aftermath. 

Grade 10 students in Sarah Fernetich’s civics class have launched the Threadz 4 Haiti initiative, a term project in which her students will make T-shirts for sale with all proceeds donated to Canadian Red Cross relief efforts. 

Seaway is one of more than two dozen schools in the Upper Canada District School Board raising funds for earthquake victims. The Board has established a central account for the funds and all donations raised will be donated to the Canadian Red Cross Society. 

Fernetich proposed the project to her class after seeing images of the devastation on the Net. The day after the quake hit, she showed the video to her students to give them an appreciation of the devastation, and they quickly decided as a group to provide aid. 

“There was no power, no water and no food,” said Fernetich of the Haitian peoples’ plight. “People couldn’t find their family members. I wanted my students to see how difficult it was for people to simply survive.  It was almost a situation where people almost wished to be a victim rather that a survivor because of what they have to live through now. 

“There was one man just lying in the street with both his legs broken but there was nothing they could do for him because the hospital had fallen down. People had all of these injuries but no way to get treatment. 

“I think we were all struck and taken aback by the devastation and the kids got excited about doing something to help.” 

The students decided to create up to 200 T-shirts because the school already has a T-shirt press that Fernetich purchased through a grant last year in order to do art projects. The teacher saw the program as an excellent way to build character in the 26 students who are participating in the fundraiser.

“I really want them to learn how to become good citizens of the world and participate in society,” she said. “This program is an excellent way they can learn how to make a difference and it also shows twenty-six 15-year-olds how they can come together and run a fundraiser to benefit others.”

Student Charlotte Wood volunteered to design the basic emblem for the shirt, which is a fist carrying a thread and bearing the word “HOPE”. The thread symbolizes a link – a way that area residents can work together to help alleviate Haiti’s suffering. The fist symbolizes strength of unified action. 

Wood says she is excited about the campaign. 

“When I saw the footage it just hit me that it is all real and all happening,” she said. “I really wanted to get involved and make a difference in other people’s lives. 

“When I saw the footage it struck me that we take for granted what we have in Canada.

People were dying in the street with no food and no water and they literally had nowhere to go. I really wanted to help.” 

Fernetich will transfer Wood’s initial hand-drawn design to computer and work with a graphics program to finalize it. 

The school will sell sponsorships to local businesses and their logos will be put on the back of the shirts to aid with the fundraising effort. Fernetich has sent a letter home with students asking their families to encourage area businesses to sponsor the project. 

Other UCDSB schools have volunteered to help sell the T-shirts including: Rideau District High School, St. Lawrence Intermediate School, South Grenville District High School, Brockville Collegiate Institute, and North Dundas District High School. 

Other Haitian relief efforts going on in the Upper Canada District School Board include:

*A grade 7 class at Chimo Elementary School in Smiths Falls is collecting Canadian Tire money.  Staff members will then exchange it for real currency which will be submitted to the Royal Bank, which will in turn match the funds. A federal government initiative will double the funds again – meaning that students will quadruple the dollar value raised in Canadian Tire money. 

*Students at East Front Public School in Cornwall recently raised $500 through popcorn sales and donations at the school, meaning that with the federal matching contribution the school will contribute $1,000 to the relief effort. 

*North Stormont Public School in Berwick will launch its Helping Hands for Haiti campaign on January 25. Students will each be encouraged to donate at least $2. For every $2 donation, a student will be able to put their handprint on a poster to be displayed in the entrance to the school.  The program will run until January 29. 

*Students at Vankleek Hill Collegiate Institute have launched their “Help VCI Help Haiti” campaign.  Students have organized a hat day, PJ day, summer wear day, as well as a bake sale to raise funds.   

*Perth and District Collegiate Institute raised $2,000 (with matching federal grants) for the relief effort. 

*Rothwell-Osnabruck School in Ingleside is hosting the "R-O Cares Campaign". Between now and the March break, the school plans to host a used toy sale/garage sale, a chili lunch, a Valentines Day dance for secondary students, and a Hope for Haiti benefit concert.

*The student council at Lyn Public School is running the Hearts for Haiti campaign. Students will sell “candy heart-o-grams” during the week leading up to Valentines Day and donate the proceeds from the sales to the Haitian relief efforts.

*Students at Tagwi Secondary School in Avonmore prepared a 15-minute assembly entitled

“Do Your Part”, in which they presented a slide show combined with a compelling speech about Canadians’ responsibility as global citizens to do our part to help Haiti in its time of need. The school is now collecting funds for the relief effort.

*General Vanier Intermediate School in Cornwall hosted a dance to raise funds for the Haiti relief effort. The school also plans a certificate sale and a bake sale.

Other schools in the Board that have held or are planning fundraisers include: Merrickville Public School, Carambeck Public School, Glengarry District High School, Laggan Public School, South Branch Elementary School, Arklan Community Public School; Almonte and District High School, Maynard Public School, Caldwell Street Public School,  Eamer’s Corners Public School, R. Tait McKenzie Public School, Front of Yonge Elementary School, Glen Tay Public School, and Boundary Street Public School.

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For more information on the Threads for Haiti campaign, please call:

Sarah Fernetich

Teacher

Seaway District High School

613-652-4878

To view a  video of Charlotte Wood explaining the program  please visit:

http://insite.edu.ucdsb.on.ca/sites/director/L2W/Charlotte%20Wood.wmv