Children help tsunami appeal
SCHOOLS and groups across the district have gone into a fund-raising frenzy in a bid to raise cash for the Asian tsunami appeals.
Non-uniform days, Christmas gift raffles and church collections have raised staggering sums to help the millions of people displaced in the areas stricken by the freak wave which hit on Boxing Day.
The tsunami, which affected much of south-east Asia, including Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and the Maldives, killed an estimated 140,000 and left a further five million homeless.
440 Britons are confirmed dead.
Collections taken at eight masses at Wentworth Terrace's St Austin's Catholic Church over the last two Sundays have raised the magnificent sum of 11,501.71, which has been sent to the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development.
Much of the sum has been Gift Aided, meaning the chunk that would be taken by the taxman is to be kept by the charity, which could add a further 2,000.
The church's Fr Michael McLaughlin said: "I am humbled at such a big-hearted and spontaneous response from the parishioners, who have recognised the plight of others in the love of the Christmas season. I was dumbstruck when I was told how much had been raised."
Kettlethorpe's Hendal Lane Primary School's 190 pupils reached similar heights, raising 600 with a non-uniform day and a Christmas present raffle.
School spokesman Bernice Priest said: "We were gobsmacked when we realised how much money we'd raised.
"Parents and children were so generous, with lots of children bringing their Christmas money in. We know everyone was touched by what happened on Boxing Day, and were glad we could do our bit for the appeals."
Other schools followed suit, with St Thomas a Becket School aiming to reach the 2,000 target with non-uniform and fair events.
Teachers Linda Wright, Sarah Wilkinson and Becky Atkinson organised a day in which kids brought in prizes for the raffle and tombola. Also on offer were stalls, the opportunity to throw sponges at a teacher and an arm wrestling championship.
Greenhill J&I School held a sponsored sports event, which saw pupils tackle hula-hoop, netball, hurdles and balance bar challenges, and their totals are still being counted
Belgravia Road's St John's CE J&I raised 272.63 with its non-uniform day, which the children had decided to hold.
Headteacher Lorraine Hanson said: "We held a school council meeting and the children said they really wanted to do something to help the people affected by the tsunami. We broke with tradition by holding the non-uniform day on a Wednesday rather than a Friday as the pupils wanted to raise and send the money off as soon as possible. They were deeply concerned about what's been going on."
Children at the Ridings Centre nursery and playgroup did a sponsored obstacle course. The event raised 180 by Wednesday, with the total expected to reach between 200 and 250 by the end of the week.
One of the children, Sabah Mahmood, from Eastmoor, brought in 11 in 1p and 2p pieces that her sister, Sonia, had collected over the last year.
Anne Young, pre-school leader, said: "All the children had seen the pictures of the wave on TV and had been affected by it, and wanted to do something to help."
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Weather for Wakefield
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
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Temperature: 12 C to 24 C
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