First Fundraiser in 2022

2022 First Fundraiser

Sungjoon Choo(Grade 9)

With Christmas, New Year, Valentines, and Easter all in one season, winter is truly the most jovial time of the year. We children look up to this time of the year from summer break, while thinking of drinking hot choco on a snowy day unwrapping presents. However, many fail to acknowledge that the children who pursue their dream are not even in the 1 per cent.

 In neighbouring countries, the majority of the children work as hard as they did any other day; the holiday season is merely a luxury they can never afford. Lamentably, of these children, a significant amount does not have a birth certificate, which is the bare minimum for one to be considered living. According to CBN News, approximately, 7.5 million children do not own a birth certificate because of the dearth of money in each household. In order to solve this problem and connect this issue with the conservation of the environment, we came up with the idea of a fundraiser. 

Ultimately killing two birds with one stone, we raised awareness by selling stickers, posters, and water bottles that promoted the safety of the environment, and by selling these products, we raised an adequate amount of money to help children in the Philippines get their birth certificate.     

Because this fundraiser was the first event of the year, we struggled to reach the correct level of enthusiasm sufficient enough to sell the products at first. Moreover, this was the first time for many members to ask random people in the street to buy products. It felt significantly awkward and demotivating at first getting rejected and hearing the word "no."

 Nevertheless, we persisted. As hours passed, our skill of presenting information became more concise and as a result, more people came to our station. As a team, we sensed synergy. We became much looser and less prudent. Rather than being stagnant and keeping ground on one side and pleading people to come, we went to them which ultimately made all the difference.

At the end of the day, this event gave me a different passion. Without any exaggeration, I truly felt empowered by the acts of educating the public about urgent issues circulating in this world. Furthermore, it made me think that even if the people we encountered didn't buy our products, they most likely became aware of the environmental issues and prominently, the children in the Philippines. 

Overall, the first fundraiser was candidly a great success and was a great stepping stone for the best results to come in future events the Eco- Save club prepares for.