“Working Together To Give Back”

Torrey Pines High School Student Organization Leaders Rally Together for Big Bake Sale Fundraiser

It’s no secret that local high school students are enthusiastic with their volunteerism, and recently many Torrey Pines High School students took the words “community service” to the next level.  Planning for what is becoming an annual community-wide bake sale fundraiser began late January of this year, directed by a group of student leaders on campus, and ended in great achievement.

Last year this same group of students raised more than $2,000 for the UNICEF Tap Project.  The undeniable success of that project prompted humanitarian club leaders from the high school to band together again to fundraise for the Pediatric Trauma Program – a program that provides resources for children’s medical supplies and specialized training for doctors and nurses.

Participating campus clubs included Key Club, the TPHS American Red Cross Club, TP-UNICEF, the California Scholarship Federation, National Honor Society, and TP Visions.  Together they gathered support from the community, one that showed their excitement for the project either through magnanimous donations or the provision of a venue.  Locations such as the Jimbo’s at the Del Mar Highlands, the Tapioca Express in La Jolla, the Rancho Santa Fe Village Market, and the Vons at Torrey Hills provided the perfect settings for an effective fundraiser.  In addition, Specialty’s Bakery and the Starbucks stores in the Del Mar Highlands and Carmel Piazza generously donated baked goods for the sale.

All of the planning and hard work paid off greatly when the leaders of the five TPHS service clubs and their devoted members and volunteers were able to rejoice in their astounding achievements.  The bake sale, which took place on at the four locations on February 23, 2013, between 9:30AM and 6:30PM, raised a staggering total of $1637.19 for the worthy cause.  During the duration of the event, volunteers rotated shifts for watching their respective bake sale booths and providing cheerful service to customers.  NHS member Christina Luu states, “ I thought the cause was really great.  Organization-wise, I found it to be very nice to bring together all of those great clubs; customers really liked hearing about Red Cross, UNICEF, NHS, Key Club… together.”

On top of the donations from charitable stores, members of the clubs involved had provided their own countless homemade creations for sale.  The fundraiser was indeed a mass effort, but well worth it in the end.

Benji Lu, National Honor Society treasurer and member of the bake sale’s leadership and planning committee, describes the event: “A lot of work went into making it happen, both from the students and the donors, but it was a lot of fun and I’m really excited that we saw the hard work pay off by raising so much for the PTP, and grateful to everyone who contributed, whether it was with their time, resources, or money.” Claire K. Chen, Key Club treasurer and the primary champion of the yearly fundraiser, agrees wholeheartedly, “I appreciate the time and effort that everyone put into this bake sale to make it such a success.”

______________________________________________________________________

Name: Katharine Yang

School: Torrey Pines High School

Journey: I was born and have lived in Michigan most of my life, and moved to California a little over 5 years ago. Time sure passes by fast, but the lifestyle here in California is very fun and exciting, and I feel like I’ve adapted relatively seamlessly. There’s still always going to be a place in my heart for my hometown though, of course.

Favorites: Some of my favorite books are To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee), The Things They Carried (Tim O’Brien), Of Mice and Men (John Steinbeck), Holes (Louis Sachar) and of course, the Harry Potter Series (J.K. Rowling).

Interests: I’m obsessed with performance/theatre and/or art-related things. I spend most of my time out in the community volunteering for events or planning them, and then reading novels at home when I have free time aside from schoolwork. I also like to write poems and stories when I’m feeling idle. Finally, I’m always listening to a song, thinking about a song, humming a song, singing a song, or a combination of these; music is as big a part of my life as any other.

Fun Facts: As of the current moment, I can speak three languages: English, Chinese, and Japanese, and hope to learn more languages later on. I definitely hope to one day be able to communicate with people around the world. I started playing the piano at age 3 and am still in love with it, and want to be able to play as many instruments as possible in the future!

Dream: One day I’d like to be a teacher or work in an organization that does good for my community. I want to not be forgotten after I’m done because I made some sort of positive impact on the world. I hope my life will be filled with friends and love and joy.