The Winchendon School Service Learning group is hosting a fundraiser “Yo Soy Boricua” Gala fundraiser to raise money for victims of Hurricane Maria. This will be a formal event with food, music, dancing, and raffles.
Hurricane Maria was the worst natural disaster to hit Puerto Rico in 89 years, wiping out the entire electrical grid and 80% of the islands agricultural industry. It has been six months since the hurricane and families are still struggling to make basic ends meets especially water, electricity, food, and employment. To date, over 200,000 people are still without power and tens of thousands are without potable water. Here is a short video capturing the effects of Hurricane Maria 6 months later. Our fundraiser aims to help families who are living both in Puerto Rico, as well as those who were evacuated here to Massachusetts.
Many families were forced to make the difficult choice to leave their homes and move to the mainland of the United States to ensure safe living conditions for their children and families. To date, Massachusetts has welcomed over 2400 students from Puerto Rico who were displaced by the storm. In January, The Winchendon School welcomed two students from Puerto Rico, Khalyl Lopez Morales, and Bianca Ortiz. Khalyl has shared his story with our community of how he and his mother, grandmother and two dogs lost their entire home, suffered immense hardship including having to live in their car without electricity and running water. Hundreds of families have experienced similar struggles and need our support to rebuild their lives in Puerto Rico and right here in Massachusetts.
The event is on Thursday, April 5th at 6:30 pm.
- Tickets cost $10 for students and $20 for adults.
- Special shirts are also on sale for $25 and will count as dress code for TWS student for the spring semester and Winch Green thereafter.
- Students may charge tickets and shirt costs to their student accounts.
- Checks can also be made out to The Winchendon School.
All proceeds will be donated to The Spanish American Center to support victims living here locally in Massachusetts, as well as those in Puerto Rico.
To RSVP online go to this link: (https://goo.gl/forms/2YIpyHNNviohN1n12). You can also email or call Miranda Jennings with any questions or to RSVP. Please RSVP by March 31st.
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