Cranbury groups helping tsunami relief

Area schools and churches work to provide aid for tsunami victims.

By: Josh Appelbaum
   CRANBURY — The Cranbury School and the First Presbyterian Church of Cranbury are leading the charge in local fund-raising efforts for victims of the Dec. 26 tsunami that killed as many as 150,000 people in Southeast Asia.
   According to Gretchen Haverkamp, a member of the Presbytery’s Mission Services Grant Committee, the group voted to donate $2,500 to charities aiding tsunami victims. The church’s deacons have also pledged $2,000.
   In addition, she said, the church will offer a special collection to donate to charities. The grant committee approved a $7,500 budget expenditure for disaster relief for 2005 that it is considering for donation.
   The Cranbury School PTO is sponsoring a dinner and basketball night featuring the Harlem Wizards on Jan. 23 at 6:30 p.m..
   Tickets for the game will cost $5 for children in advance, $10 for children at the door and $10 for adults. The money raised goes to the Cranbury PTO.
   At the game, the student council will be making submarine sandwiches and selling them for $6, $4 of which will go to tsunami relief. The remaining $2 per sandwich will go to Hannah and Mason’s on North Main Street to cover the cost of providing the sandwich fixings.
   Cranbury School Vice Principal Christine Capaci said the sandwich event was initiated by eighth-grader Dana Sahli. Money from the sandwiches was supposed to go to the eighth-grade class for end-of-the-year activities, but after Dana went door to door in town collecting donations for tsunami relief she suggested the council direct the money to charities helping the victims.
   In addition, jars to collect money for relief efforts are placed throughout the school. Ms. Capaci said the school hasn’t decided what organizations would receive money raised by the school.
   The PTO also is diverting some of its money to tsunami relief. Money raised at tonight’s (Friday) Jamfest was originally to go to the eighth grade’s end-of-the-year activities, but now , will defer cash to disaster relief.
   Ms. Capaci said students have been coming up with many ideas on ways to help.
   "The kids are amazing — what hearts they have for others. Everybody has another idea for how to help — they have a real world-view," Ms. Capaci said.
   Continuing with the hoops theme, Ms. Capaci said the school is planning a basketball shoot-out in which students will compete in free throw and dribbling contests for donated prizes. She said the shoot-out will be an after-school event with food, face-painting and prizes. Students will pay $5, all of which will go to Save the Children. A date for the event has not been set.