DECA concluded its ?Cause for Celebration? project on Dec. 10 with a fund raiser at the Tysons Corner Silver Diner. It was held in an effort to provide money for the Katherine Hanley Homeless Shelter in Fairfax. This marks the first year that DECA has done a ?Cause for Celebration? program.
Juniors and DECA members Yazan Alshawkani, Brendan Fogarty and Kate Pantano organized the event along with other events during the ?Cause for Celebration? week.
?Plenty of students came, including the swim team and the Chicago cast. It was a really great feeling that they came to support us,? Fogarty said.
DECA sponsor and Entrepreneurship teacher Jennifer Hendrickson was also pleased to note that not only Marshall students came to the fund raiser, but a great number of ?elementary school students and devoted parents? also attended. Hendrickson also praised the copious community support DECA received in the fund raiser.
In addition to receiving a percentage of Silver Diner?s profits that evening, DECA also tried to raise additional money with a wish jar in the front of the restaurant for donations.
Similar fund raising programs were conducted from Dec. 6 to 10 to raise money for a monthly birthday party for children residing at the Katherine Hanely Homeless Shelter.
?I think it?s a great example of connecting students with something they know and can relate to. It is much more personal for the students when it deals with something like a birthday, and they feel more sympathetic towards the people that we are trying to help,? Hendrickson said.