Allentown High School students raise nearly $2,600 for American Red Cross tsunami relief efforts in South Asia.
By: Lauren Burgoon
UPPER FREEHOLD It’s not every day that the Allentown High School administrators show up to work with fluorescent hair. But then again, it’s not every day that the student body hands over a $2,600 check to the American Red Cross.
The hairstyles and the check happen to be related. The check is for tsunami relief efforts in South Asia and represents nearly two weeks of change collections. The outrageous hairdos are merely a fulfilled promise by the principal and vice principals to dye their hair any color if the students could scrape together $1,000 in donations. AHS left that goal in the dust as they raised more than double the goal since the collections started on Jan. 6.
Tuesday’s donation to the Red Cross meant it was time for Principal Chris Nagy and Vice Principals Connie Embley and Brian Myslinski to pay up. All three sported varying hairstyles all day chosen by the students. Mr. Nagy received an electric blue (temporary) dye job with several turrets of gelled hair courtesy of two students. The principal’s transformation was shown to the entire school over AHS’ morning television station.
Ms. Embley decided to go for a hot pink hairdo on Tuesday. She dyed her own hair at home, but not before getting tips from an AHS student known to change his own hair color frequently.
Students had a harder time coming up with a hairstyle for the other vice principal, Mr. Myslinski, owing to his shaved head. He ended up wearing a red, curly wig that looked eerily similar to country singer Wynonna Judd’s hair.
One day of blue hair is a small price to pay in exchange for seeing the school and community come together to raise money, Mr. Nagy said.
"I’m just so proud of all of the students," he said. "They did a great thing in wanting to help the tsunami victims."
He said the best part is that all of the school’s clubs coordinated to raise as much money as possible instead of acting independently.
AHS’ collection drive was born of an idea coming out of a Presidents Council meeting, a gathering of student club presidents, Lauren Van Hise said. Lauren, 18, is the Student Council president.
"It turned out that we all wanted to do something to help," she said. "Mr. Nagy thought it would be chaotic if different clubs were all doing something separate so we decided it would be better to do something together."
The result was a concentrated effort to rake in as much money as possible from the school and people in the community. Empty water jugs placed in the cafeteria quickly filled up with change from students. Clubs asked their members for support and schoolwide students paid $1 to participate in Pajama Day and Hat Day, which are normally against the dress code.
The faculty and staff added to the pot with their own checks. To raise even more funds, the students asked local businesses to keep donation jars at the counter and, inspired by the school’s efforts, some business owners chipped in too.
It was an entirely student-run operation, Mr. Nagy noted. The students counted the proceeds, contacted the Red Cross themselves and arranged a Tuesday-morning assembly to present the check.
Even after all of that work to raise money, the student body still seemed surprised that they were able to collect so much. Lauren’s announcement that the school was turning over $2,600 was met with gasps of surprise from the assembly.
It will be money put to good use. The death toll from the huge waves that wiped out entire villages in Asian and African countries stands at 155,000, but international aid organizations warn that this number could double as people succumb to disease spread as a result of the tsunami. Relief money will be needed for years to rebuild the devastated regions and pay for victims’ needs.
American Red Cross representative, Cleo Hendrickson, who came to AHS to accept the donation check, told the students that they helped dozens, possibly hundreds, of victims of the Dec. 26 disaster.
"You have our heartfelt thanks," she said. "You have helped people all over the world who you will probably never meet or see but who will benefit for a long time from your donation. You have provided some very much needed assistance."
Ms. Hendrickson said that, for example, every $1 raised could provide a measles vaccination for a tsunami victim. Sleeping mats can be bought for $2, mosquito netting to prevent malaria for $5 and a dining set for $15. An entire family could benefit from a $170 donation, which buys a sleeping tent to protect them from the weather and insects.
This is the first time that AHS has participated in a donation drive of this magnitude.
Staff photo by Phil McAuliffeCleo Hendrickson of the American Red Cross (left) accepts a check for almost $2,600 for tsunami relief efforts in South Asia from Allentown High School Student Council President Lauren Van Hise, as Principal Chris Nagy and Vice Principals Connie Embley and Brian Myslinski look on. The administrators were sporting new hairstyles, as they promised to do if the student body raised at least $1,000 in donations.
Lauren BurgoonStaff Writer
UPPER FREEHOLD It’s not every day that the Allentown High School administrators show up to work with fluorescent hair. But then again, it’s not every day that the student body hands over a $2,600 check to the American Red Cross.
The hairstyles and the check happen to be related. The check is for tsunami relief efforts in South Asia and represents nearly two weeks of change collections. The outrageous hairdos are merely a fulfilled promise by the principal and vice principals to dye their hair any color if the students could scrape together $1,000 in donations. AHS left that goal in the dust as they raised more than double the goal since the collections started on Jan. 6.
Tuesday’s donation to the Red Cross meant it was time for Principal Chris Nagy and Vice Principals Connie Embley and Brian Myslinski to pay up. All three sported varying hairstyles all day chosen by the students. Mr. Nagy received an electric blue (temporary) dye job with several turrets of gelled hair courtesy of two students. The principal’s transformation was shown to the entire school over AHS’ morning television station.
Ms. Embley decided to go for a hot pink hairdo on Tuesday. She dyed her own hair at home, but not before getting tips from an AHS student known to change his own hair color frequently.
Students had a harder time coming up with a hairstyle for the other vice principal, Mr. Myslinski, owing to his shaved head. He ended up wearing a red, curly wig that looked eerily similar to country singer Wynonna Judd’s hair.
One day of blue hair is a small price to pay in exchange for seeing the school and community come together to raise money, Mr. Nagy said.
"I’m just so proud of all of the students," he said. "They did a great thing in wanting to help the tsunami victims."
He said the best part is that all of the school’s clubs coordinated to raise as much money as possible instead of acting independently.
AHS’ collection drive was born of an idea coming out of a Presidents Council meeting, a gathering of student club presidents, Lauren Van Hise said. Lauren, 18, is the Student Council president.
"It turned out that we all wanted to do something to help," she said. "Mr. Nagy thought it would be chaotic if different clubs were all doing something separate so we decided it would be better to do something together."
The result was a concentrated effort to rake in as much money as possible from the school and people in the community. Empty water jugs placed in the cafeteria quickly filled up with change from students. Clubs asked their members for support and schoolwide students paid $1 to participate in Pajama Day and Hat Day, which are normally against the dress code.
The faculty and staff added to the pot with their own checks. To raise even more funds, the students asked local businesses to keep donation jars at the counter and, inspired by the school’s efforts, some business owners chipped in too.
It was an entirely student-run operation, Mr. Nagy noted. The students counted the proceeds, contacted the Red Cross themselves and arranged a Tuesday-morning assembly to present the check.
Even after all of that work to raise money, the student body still seemed surprised that they were able to collect so much. Lauren’s announcement that the school was turning over $2,600 was met with gasps of surprise from the assembly.
It will be money put to good use. The death toll from the huge waves that wiped out entire villages in Asian and African countries stands at 155,000, but international aid organizations warn that this number could double as people succumb to disease spread as a result of the tsunami. Relief money will be needed for years to rebuild the devastated regions and pay for victims’ needs.
American Red Cross representative, Cleo Hendrickson, who came to AHS to accept the donation check, told the students that they helped dozens, possibly hundreds, of victims of the Dec. 26 disaster.
"You have our heartfelt thanks," she said. "You have helped people all over the world who you will probably never meet or see but who will benefit for a long time from your donation. You have provided some very much needed assistance."
Ms. Hendrickson said that, for example, every $1 raised could provide a measles vaccination for a tsunami victim. Sleeping mats can be bought for $2, mosquito netting to prevent malaria for $5 and a dining set for $15. An entire family could benefit from a $170 donation, which buys a sleeping tent to protect them from the weather and insects.
This is the first time that AHS has participated in a donation drive of this magnitude.

