UWRF students raise funds, provide support in Uganda
October 2, 2008
Students from the UW-River Falls chapter of Building Tomorrow continue their fundraising efforts and will travel to Uganda in January 2009, where they will help to build a school.
Student Affairs coordinator Amy Lloyd said that the UWRF chapter of Building Tomorrow was started in 2006 during the crisis brought on by Hurricane Katrina. Students heard about the organization and wanted to get involved. Lloyd said that the chapter has raised $8,500 so far. The chapter’s goal is to raise $12,000, which is enough money to build two classrooms in a school. It costs $32,000 to build a school and each is built in the uniform layout established by the organization.
Lloyd will be traveling with the group of six students during the trip. She said that the group would leave on Jan. 2, 2009, and will return on Jan.17, 2009. The group is scheduled to travel first to Washington D.C. where they will meet up with other Building Tomorrow chapters before continuing on to Uganda. During the trip students will help with the construction of a school and will be staying with various host families they have been matched up with, Lloyd said. Also on the itinerary is a safari where students will have the opportunity to explore the surrounding area.
A similar trip to Uganda was planned for last year, but violence in Kenya prevented the group from leaving Washington D.C. and the trip was cancelled from there.
Building Tomorrow is a non profit organization that was started in 2005 by George Srour, who was an intern for the United Nations in Uganda. During his internship, Srour saw that there were children in Uganda who needed help. He established the very first Building Tomorrow chapter at the College of William and Mary. The chapter launched its “Christmas in Kampala Campaign” which raised nearly $45,000. The organization was able to build its first school in Uganda in 2006. The organization now consists of 15 chapters at colleges and universities around the country. The goal of Building Tomorrow is to build ten schools in Uganda by 2010, according to the organization’s Web site.
The UWRF chapter of Building Tomorrow has a number of different fundraisers in place to continue its’ efforts. A pancake breakfast was held on Sept. 20, which raised $850, Alicia Hurkman, the student manager of the chapter, said in an Internet interview.
The chapter has a number of different fundraisers in place to continue its efforts.
“To raise the necessary funds our chapter sells handmade Ugandan necklaces, stationery, photobooks and buttons,” she said.
In October, the chapter will hold its annual Big Event, which will consist of various activities and performances.
“We will be holding the 3rd annual Big Event on Oct. 11 with Family Day,” Hurkman said.
The day will begin with the Little Event, which is a kid’s carnival that will start at 10 a.m. and will run until 2 p.m. The Big Event will begin later in the evening at 7 p.m. with a performance by Comedy Sportz, which will take place in the University Center Ballroom.
The Big Event will end with a performance by the step company, Step Afrika at 8:30 p.m. in North Hall. All of the activities and entertainment of the Big and Little Events are free and open to the public.