The Students Against Violence club at Anglo-American University hosted a successful bake sale and tie-dying event on 11 October to fundraise for humanitarian relief efforts after the earthquake in Morocco and floods in Libya in September.
Their combined effort raised 5,514kč for the causes. Cash donations will be sent to Education for All in Morocco, and card donations will be given to the Czech branch of Care working in Libya. The money raised for Education for All will help assist in locating missing girls as well as repairing their school facilities. Care will be providing medical supplies and aid, cooperating with organizations in Libya.
“Students Against Violence sees violence as not just person-on-person violence but any kind of distress a person might be in. Obviously, the earthquake has caused a lot of injuries and deaths; people have lost all of their physical belongings; it all falls under the umbrella of taking care of people,” said club member Celia Clipp.
The fundraiser ran during the school day in two locations. The Tie Dye station in the courtyard provided students with a rainbow of tie-dye colors to dye their clothing from home for a donation. Upstairs in the main lobby, the baked goods were sold.
“I support the missions of the Students Against Violence club, and I think this is a productive way for me to put donations to a tangible cause,” said AAU student Linden Rodstrom, while buying a treat.
The tie-dye fundraiser was a unique opportunity for students to craft on campus. Hannah Schermer, club co-president, laid out a large tarp, tie-dye instructions, and many buckets filled with dye for students to pour on their creations. There were bags and rubber bands provided, so students could tie-dye on the go.
A handful of students participated in the tie-dying, one student even went out of their way to purchase a shirt to dye for the event day-of. But, Schermer said the club would likely not host the event again due to the difficulty of hosting a messy craft project.
Last school year, Students Against Violence raised 73,000kč for humanitarian aid in Ukraine in addition to a physical goods drive for the Nigerian Embassy of Prague to support refugees of color. This year, the club hopes to continue to provide a community for students to bring light to humanitarian issues and events, as well as continue their success in fundraising.
The night before the bake sale, the club hosted a baking night, so students could bake together and create posters for the event. According to the club members manning the bake sale stands, the cookies went quickly.
AAU students interested in joining the club can head to one of their bimonthly meetings on Tuesdays at 5:30. The Instagram account, @students.against.violence, regularly posts updates on their events and fundraising efforts.
