PRINCETON: PHS to hold fundraiser for hurricane relief

By Philip Sean Curran, Staff Writer
   Princeton High School never looks the other way when it comes to helping victims of a catastrophe, be it in places like Japan or New Orleans.
   So after Hurricane Sandy hit the Jersey shore last fall the school swung into action. To support ongoing relief efforts, students will take the stage Friday at the high school performing arts center for a fundraiser that begins at 7 p.m. with hors d’oeuvres consisting of donated desserts.
   Even with the passage of time, lives remain disrupted, said one of the student organizers of Friday’s fundraiser.
   ”I think the whole idea of this was to bring the community together to raise awareness that although we might have gone back to normal, there are still people out there that don’t have their homes and their lives aren’t back to the way they were,” said Mollie Chen, a junior.
   Andrew Goldstein, a fellow junior, said he visited Point Pleasant a few weeks ago. Though not as devastated as he expected, he walked around and saw a “ton of damage.”
   ”By this point, Sandy’s three months ago. People have forgotten about it. They think the Red Cross has moved out, everything’s fine. No, no,” he said.
   After Sandy, the school created a relief fund, and has been raising money to go toward it by selling T-shirts and plastic bracelets and holding an after-school event. So far, around $1,000 has come in; those funds and the money from Friday night will be going to the Red Cross and the New Jersey Sandy Relief Fund.
   ”Our school, when there’s a tragedy, always comes to support the tragedy. It doesn’t matter where it is. This time it hit home,” said Diana Lygas, the dean of students.
   In her case, Ms. Lygas said her mother, a resident of Mantoloking, remains displaced from the storm.
   Mr. Goldstein worked with Ms. Chen to come up with an idea for a fundraiser that would stand out and bring in as much money as possible.
   ”Neither of us had ever done anything like this before,” said Ms. Chen, “so it’s a great learning experience to work and how to organize an event and figure all this out.”
   The first part of the night begins with desserts in the lobby of the arts center. Afterward, students will take the stage for the entertainment.
   Tickets start at $7 for adults in advance and $10 at the door and $5 for seniors and students in advance and $7 at the door.
   Though there is no target dollar amount for Friday, Mr. Goldstein said he hopes the event raises “how much as we can, just anything to help those affected by Hurricane Sandy.”
   For information, email can be sent either to [email protected] or to Ms. Lygas at [email protected].