Kids Helping Kids

This post expresses two points of pride. The first is in RKYHS senior Michael Goldman for writing such a great article that can be found on the OU's Shabbat Shalom section. The second, which might be clear, is in our students for being so involved and devoted to great causes. Below is the article that Michael wrote; let us know what you think, and we hope you'll donate, and we can't to see you at the 4K!

As a school, we are frequently asked by countless charities and organizations to help raise money for their cause. Of course we want to help, but it's difficult to organize 3 or 4 unique and separate fundraisers and to be successful, so we decided to take a different approach: run one big fundraising event and disperse the funds to select organizations. Last year, our 4K marathon raised over $4,500 so we've decided to stick with that format and limit our sponsorship to four very worthy children's causes - 4K 4Kids!

This year's race, however, is about so much more then just raising dollars for charity; it's about giving back; it's about understanding the power we have as kids ourselves, and realizing the potential we have and what we can achieve. It's important for each of us to realize how fortunate we are to have all the good things our parents provide us with, or simply to be thankful for our own health and the health of our families. Most of us tend to take that for granted. So we're building on this year's unique theme: KIDS raising money for other KIDS.

Yachad helps developmentally disabled or challenged kids.

Chai Lifeline helps terminally ill kids.

Koby Mandell helps kids that have been traumatized and affected by terrorist attacks

Kupat Beit Sifri is helping families and kids within our school community that are in dire need.

So far, this race has been motivating the entire student body to help other kids who are just like us. We are making a statement that even though we are kids, we have the power to reciprocate and respond.

Because the race was wildly successful last year, we decided to capitalize on that success and take the race to an entirely new level. A committee of high school students was put together in October. We created a presentation and promoted it to potential corporate sponsors, and gave them the opportunity to become partners. The response was positive, enthusiastic, and includes Atlantic Realty, HARDKNOCKS, JAG physical therapy (West Orange), Care One (Livingston), and Lewinter Wealth Advisory.

In total, we have raised closed to $10,000 so far, which doubles our total from last year and doesn't include whatever students have just begun raising in personal sponsorships. Another huge advantage for this year is that we've developed our own website at www.4k4kids.com, making it easier and more convenient for family and friends to log on, set up their donations or sponsorships online, learn more about the event, or simply track the marathon's progress.

This year's race is scheduled for Monday, May 23rd and is a major part of our Lag Ba'Omer festivities. Runners will be leaving the school campus for part of the route, and safety will be maintained with the assistance of the Livingston Police Department who will be blocking off certain roads for our use. We will have an inspirational presentation preceding the race, thanking all of our sponsors and reminding our participants about why we put this race together in the first place.

After the race, we've planned a huge festival with ices, music, dancing, and a fantastic barbecue!

As a school we have always maintained strong alliances with Yachad. We have hosted numerous Yachad Shabbatons and basketball tournaments with maximum participation from the student body. This year, with all students in our school (pre-k through 12th grade) involved, we hope to reach our goal of raising 25,000 dollars for the 4K 4Kids.

We all know what can happen when we dedicate ourselves to a cause and join in to become a part of something bigger.

Michael Goldman is a senior at Rae Kushner Yeshiva High School and president of his local NCSY chapter. He served/serves as captain of various varsity sports teams and heads the 4K 4Kids Charity Run Committee.