Thank you for coming out to our water walk!!! 167 laps were walked including 12 “challenge can” laps. We will be donating $502 to @thirstproject to help people in developing countries have access to clean water.
Students and staff walked a laps around the track carrying jerrycans weighing 20 and 40 lbs to demonstrate the struggle many face to obtain clean water.
#jerrycanyou
#waterwednesday
#CelebrateCarmelUSD
By MARCUS MICHIE
With a goal of providing safe, clean drinking water to the lower middle-income country of Eswatini, South Africa, This Club Saves Lives, composed of students and staff centered on community service, will be donating to the Thirst Project through their Walk for Water event Nov. 5.
Women and children in developing communities travel an average distance of six kilometers daily to retrieve water for their families, according to the United Nations. Students and staff who choose to participate in the Walk for Water will carry a half-full jerrycan weighing about 22 pounds for a quarter-mile around the track.
“It brings staff and students together,” says senior Olivia Hansen, TCSL co-president, “to do something challenging and provides a community aspect in a sense of understanding and growing all together.”
Those who complete the Walk for Water will be rewarded with a $5 gift card to local businesses. The more laps participants complete, the more money TCSL will donate to the Thirst Project. Enthusiastic sophomore cross-country athlete Hudson Silva completed one mile at last year’s event, and he plans to double his distance this year.
“I think it’s an important learning experience,” sophomore Briar Spungin says, “that can help students gain perspective on the privilege that we have with access to clean water.”
Throughout the week leading into the Walk for Water, TCSL will spread videos and education regarding the world water crisis to students and staff.
“We want to explain what the world water crisis is,” TCSL adviser Leigh Cambra says. “We want it to be a learning experience.”
The club was established in 2015 by Cambra alongside founding president Regan Chambers with the collective interest of finding ways to serve the community. The team meets every Tuesday at lunch in Cambra’s room, where they organize multiple fundraisers including “Tampon Tuesday,” a campaign where students can donate tampons and pads to various classrooms on campus.
Historically, TCSL has supported the Thirst Project through various events such as the Thirst Gala. In 2020, restrictions that the pandemic brought forward led to Thirst Gala being held virtually. The in-person event typically raises about $3,000, Cambra says, and that money is then donated to the Thirst Project.
TCSL is hopeful to return to Carmel Middle School’s award-winning Hilton Bialek Habitat, an installation that serves to conserve the various bird species on CMS’ property, and host the Thirst Gala this year. With the addition of an expansive garden, greenhouse and bird banding lab, the habitat’s primary focus is educating students on agricultural sustainability.
With the various setbacks from COVID-19, the club is treading lightly.
“We’re hoping that a more realistic time to do Thirst Gala is March,” Cambra says.
“We tentatively know the date because we were going to do it in September,” adds TCSL co-president and senior Abby Weisenfeld. “But COVID kind of took over again.”
While staying active throughout the 2020-21 virtual school year, TCSL is broadening their affairs and continuing to acknowledge pressing matters outside of the community through various in-person events this year.
Back in 2010 the CHS Red Cross Club sold this shirt as a fundraiser for Haiti earthquake relief. We would like to do that again. Same design with updated year but the shirts will be white with red printing. The cost is $20 per shirt or $40 for a grey sweatshirt. You can venmo (@thisclub-saveslives) PayPal (paypal.me/thisclubsaveslives ) or drop a check payable to This Clubs Saves Lives to the Carmel High School ASB office. Order form
The club took some time off this summer and are excited to get back to work in person at Carmel High School in August.
While distance learning had its ups and downs, we are proud that our club kept going with online weekly Zoom meetings while working to build our social media presence. We now have weekly Mental Health Monday, Tampon Tuesday, and Water Wednesday posts.
During distance learning we made over 100 blankets and donated them to local shelters. We also continued our yearly Thirst Gala, the first virtual concert for us, and we had our first water walk when we came back to campus to raise funds for Thirst Project.
Our members stayed busy throughout the pandemic and the club helped give students a connection to Carmel High School. Besides making blankets we also made valentines for the entire school and made holiday baskets for families impacted by the Carmel Fire in August.
We may be in distance learning but the club found a way to keep the Valentine tradition alive! The club wrote 800+ postcards and sent them to every Carmel High School student.
Abby and Olivia presented at the Monterey County Office of Education’s All In for Equity (virtual) Conference. Along with students from Rancho San Juan and MPUSD, Abby and Olivia told participants about This Club Saves Lives initiatives.
The club is on the second round of blanket making! We have delivered over 100 blankets to the Casa de Noche Buena (Community Human Services), Voices for Children/CASA in Salinas, Monterey County SPCA, Peace of Mind Dog Rescue, and All In Monterey.
Blanket making material can be picked up from the ASB office Tuesday-Thursday 8am-3pm.
Get ready for the first Carmel High School Virtual Thirst Gala on Friday, December 11 at 6pm on YouTube.
Pick up lunch or dinner from Rise+Roam in Carmel. Use the code CHSavesLives for a donation to Thirst Gala. Settle in front of you TV or laptop to watch the Carmel High School Singer/Songwriters concert live on YouTube.
Purchase your ticket here. The cost is $10 per household (but extra donations are welcome). The email you use to purchase your ticket on Eventbrite will be used to send a link to the concert on the morning of December 11.
Besides live performances there will be other surprises throughout the evening! The show is about 1 hour.
All proceeds will support Thirst Project.
This Club Saves Lives 