Eastlake students collect crayons for Seattle Children’s
November 10, 2009
By Christopher Huber
By Christopher Huber
As groups of Eastlake students milled about teacher Bill Monahan’s classroom Nov. 3, some painted banner-sized signs out in the hallway. The signs would go up around the school to promote the Junior Orthopedic Guild’s participation in Operation Crayon, a periodic crayon fundraiser for patients at Seattle Children’s Hospital.
“It’s a really simple way to help and benefit a lot of people,” said drive co-coordinator, junior Nicole Jiminez.
The hospital’s guild association runs an annual fundraiser to collect supplies and financial contributions for various needs in the hospital’s Child Life department, said Melissa Cardenas, Seattle Children’s development coordinator. Eastlake’s club is one of approximately 500 guilds and 7,000 members that contribute to the drives, she said.
“Some of them (guilds) bring hundreds of boxes of crayons,” Cardenas said.
The drive ends in April, but the students in the school-sanctioned club utilized their resources early to collect as many crayons as possible. Children’s Hospital recently ran out of its crayon supply, which it utilizes each time a child is admitted for care, club members said. The guild association’s first and only Operation Crayon, in 2005, brought in 500,000 crayons, according to a fundraiser flier.
“By raising crayons for them, we are raising for their uncompensated care (program),” said crayon drive co-coordinator Alison Cary. “As high school students we can do things to help that are not that difficult.”
The group, which has grown to as much as 80 members, meets on just the first Tuesday of each month, so they take advantage of the time together to plan the crayon drive and other volunteer events, organizers said.
Among the volunteer projects and events members help with, some spend one Saturday per month doing crafts with patients at Children’s Hospital, said club parent advisor Sandy Marshall.
“I hope it gives the kids an attitude and desire to do community service throughout their life,” she said.
Cardenas said although it’s just one group, Eastlake’s relatively large Junior Orthopedic Guild club has the potential to significantly impact the fundraiser with its crayon donations — they’re accepting only FDA-approved Crayola brand. Many guilds across the Seattle Metropolitan region purchase mass quantities of crayons on sale.
“Depending on how many (boxes) they can bring, it’ll be a huge turnout,” Cardenas said.
Eastlake 2002 graduate Jamie Basteine started the guild club in 2001 as her senior project along with Eastlake graduate Ashley Woare.
At first, the club was small, with about 10 members, she said in an e-mail to the Review. They volunteered at the hospital, did a clothing drive and supported guild association fundraisers, but numbers were sparse.
They were persistent and promoted their causes and after Basteine graduated, the club grew.
“We hoped that there was enough interest in the club to keep it going after we left, but 60 students taking part in the crayon drive is very impressive!” Basteine said. “I think it just goes to show how much the students at Eastlake High School really want to give back.”
Anyone interested in donating to Operation Crayon can deliver or mail crayons or money to Seattle Children’s Hospital Guild Association, P.O. Box 50020 S-200/Seattle, WA 98145-5020. Contact the Guild Association at 206-987-2153.
Senior club member Colin Katagiri was one of the last students in Monahan’s classroom as he washed out the green paint from a brush. As Monahan and Marshall talked about the club, Katagiri summed up the whole point.
“Our character is what we do when we think no one is looking,” he said.
Reporter Christopher Huber can be reached at 392-6434, ext. 242, or chuber@isspress.com. Comment on this story at www.sammamishreview.com.
As groups of Eastlake students milled about teacher Bill Monahan’s classroom Nov. 3, some painted banner-sized signs out in the hallway. The signs would go up around the school to promote the Junior Orthopedic Guild’s participation in Operation Crayon, a periodic crayon fundraiser for patients at Seattle Children’s Hospital.
“It’s a really simple way to help and benefit a lot of people,” said drive co-coordinator, junior Nicole Jiminez.
Eastlake senior Colin Katagiri paints a sign to promote Operation Crayon for the school’s Seattle Children’s Hospital Junior Orthopedic Guild club Nov. 3. Photo by Christopher Huber
The hospital’s guild association runs an annual fundraiser to collect supplies and financial contributions for various needs in the hospital’s Child Life department, said Melissa Cardenas, Seattle Children’s development coordinator. Eastlake’s club is one of approximately 500 guilds and 7,000 members that contribute to the drives, she said.
“Some of them (guilds) bring hundreds of boxes of crayons,” Cardenas said.
The drive ends in April, but the students in the school-sanctioned club utilized their resources early to collect as many crayons as possible. Children’s Hospital recently ran out of its crayon supply, which it utilizes each time a child is admitted for care, club members said. The guild association’s first and only Operation Crayon, in 2005, brought in 500,000 crayons, according to a fundraiser flier.
“By raising crayons for them, we are raising for their uncompensated care (program),” said crayon drive co-coordinator Alison Cary. “As high school students we can do things to help that are not that difficult.”
The group, which has grown to as much as 80 members, meets on just the first Tuesday of each month, so they take advantage of the time together to plan the crayon drive and other volunteer events, organizers said.
Among the volunteer projects and events members help with, some spend one Saturday per month doing crafts with patients at Children’s Hospital, said club parent advisor Sandy Marshall.
“I hope it gives the kids an attitude and desire to do community service throughout their life,” she said.
Cardenas said although it’s just one group, Eastlake’s relatively large Junior Orthopedic Guild club has the potential to significantly impact the fundraiser with its crayon donations — they’re accepting only FDA-approved Crayola brand. Many guilds across the Seattle Metropolitan region purchase mass quantities of crayons on sale.
“Depending on how many (boxes) they can bring, it’ll be a huge turnout,” Cardenas said.
Eastlake 2002 graduate Jamie Basteine started the guild club in 2001 as her senior project along with Eastlake graduate Ashley Woare.
At first, the club was small, with about 10 members, she said in an e-mail to the Review. They volunteered at the hospital, did a clothing drive and supported guild association fundraisers, but numbers were sparse.
They were persistent and promoted their causes and after Basteine graduated, the club grew.
“We hoped that there was enough interest in the club to keep it going after we left, but 60 students taking part in the crayon drive is very impressive!” Basteine said. “I think it just goes to show how much the students at Eastlake High School really want to give back.”
Anyone interested in donating to Operation Crayon can deliver or mail crayons or money to Seattle Children’s Hospital Guild Association, P.O. Box 50020 S-200/Seattle, WA 98145-5020. Contact the Guild Association at 206-987-2153.
Senior club member Colin Katagiri was one of the last students in Monahan’s classroom as he washed out the green paint from a brush. As Monahan and Marshall talked about the club, Katagiri summed up the whole point.
“Our character is what we do when we think no one is looking,” he said.
Reporter Christopher Huber can be reached at 392-6434, ext. 242, or chuber@isspress.com.
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