Purple Haze
Charity is at the heart of Northern High School
By Lauren Bagian

Nov. 19, 2009

We are coming upon the season of giving when most people start to reach into their pockets to donate to numerous charities and foundations. This giving season continues right through Christmas and then falls off until the next year. However, Northern has been in the giving spirit since the start of this school term, raising money for locals in need and even helping people around the world.

The football team, staff and cheerleaders all held a very special benefit for the Fuss and Hippensteel families on Sunday, Nov. 15. The spaghetti dinner was organized in order to raise money to assist those families with their costly medical bills. The entire community came together to take part in the afternoon of food, friendship and support. According to Kelton Mehls, a member of the football team who took part in the event, “at least 300 people walked through the door.” That’s an incredible number and a great success. Benefit t-shirts were sold during all lunch periods so that those who could not attend the event could somehow contribute.

Stepping it up to the national level, the Four Diamonds Foundation helps children with cancer, provides families with emotional support and helps lift financial burdens. Northern participates in fundraisers for the Four Diamonds Foundation year-round, ending it all with Polar-Thon all-nighter held in the school in the early spring. Every year, fundraising is kicked-off with the Junior/Senior Powder Puff Football Game. The junior girls won this year, but the real winners are the children who will receive care and support through the Four Diamonds Foundation with Northern’s donation of nearly $800.

Northern’s charitable influence has even reached over-seas. Key Club organized a project for Heifer International, a foundation that gives animals to needy families in third-world countries while also teaching the families how to raise the animals and use them for revenue and nutrition. By selling animal cookies during lunch periods and holding a contest to dress Mrs. Trostle like a honey-bee, Key Club, along with the incredible support of the student body, raised $500. This total was enough to buy a cow which will give a needy family milk, butter, cheese, meat and the ability to sell all these products to create revenue and support their surrounding community. It is amazing how one cow, and one high school, can make such a difference.

Each of these examples seems small, but when the entire student body comes together along with the support of the community, inspiring things can happen. With small contributions of time and care, Northern has made an amazing difference in Dillsburg as well as around the world.