Taylor duPont
Reporter
To raise awareness for the Save the Children Organization, CharityLink hosted a Coffee House Fundraiser on Dec. 8 in the multi-purpose room. The event showcased the sibling duo junior Alyssa and freshman Taylor Thompson, as well as solo artists such as juniors Christy Coco and Gabby Balzano and sophomore Olivia Harkey.
The club members aimed to raise money for Save the Children and also encourage more students to become involved in their community. “We were extremely happy with the number of people who came to support the cause. The event had exactly the feel we wanted and helped raise over $500 dollars for Save the Children,” Senior Kiki Landers, a club president, said. “It’s amazing to be able to make a direct difference in people’s lives throughout the world. We’ve had food drives, clothing drives, concerts, other fundraisers, like the penguin costume fundraiser, and bake sales for various charities. We also volunteer around New Canaan, whether through the ‘clean your mile’ campaign or at the Fall Fair in town. The club is a really great way to be involved in the community and work towards the goal of improving lives throughout the world.”
The excited performers were ready to sing and play for a cause. “I love being able to share my work, especially when it’s for a good cause,” Alyssa said. “The pressure is lower than a formal recital, and the atmosphere is one of giving and fun. Plus, you can be confident that the audience will be supportive of your performance.”
Christy jumped at the opportunity to perform for the fundraiser. “When I heard about the cause I instantly knew that singing for the event was something I would like to do,” she said. “Music will encourage kids to participate and donate.”
Olivia said that the casual setting allowed her music to thrive. “There were lights along the walls of the room that gave an awesome effect to the entire event,” she said. “The other performers were so nice and supportive and I was having a blast every minute of that night! I felt no pressure and was so comfortable singing and playing for all of those people.”
Kiki and senior Greg Brea, the other president, founded CharityLink, formally known as the K.E.Y. Club. “Last year we decided to change the name to CharityLink because K.E.Y. Club stands for Kiwanis Educating Youth, which is an international organization,” senior Katherine Moncure said. “In order to remain an official member of the international K.E.Y. Club, each club member would have had to pay money in addition to paying for plane tickets to mandatory conferences across the country. This would essentially be paying more money than we actually raise, so we just became an independent student-run group at NCHS and changed the name.”
According to Katherine all of the CharityLink fundraisers have had successful results. “So far we’ve raised money through both bake sales and events like the Coffeehouse, and in a recent food drive we managed to collect enough food to fill my entire SUV along with $450 in donations. We make a difference that’s both local and global, and if that’s what people want to do, then CharityLink is the place to do it.”
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCDRA_bTO6c&feature=plcp&context=C3ee44f5UDOEgsToPDskLZKBgrpAoDz3CNQXAcdeJN
