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Junior Class Raises $1,100 for Charity Partner, Chalco Girlstown in Mexico
Oakcrest students stepped up their game last Friday, raising over $1,000 for the school’s charity partner, Chalco Girlstown in Mexico.
Every year, Executive Student Council selects a different charity to partner with for the academic year, and each month, a different class spearheads a school-wide fundraising effort towards the school’s total contribution. Partners from previous years include Mary’s Meals, Charity: Water, and Los Samanas.
This year, Oakcrest students chose Chalco Girlstown, a program started in 1991 by The Sisters of Mary: World Villages for Children. The program provides education and a learning environment for young girls in need. There are currently 47 Sisters of Mary and 96 teachers on site in Mexico providing support to 3,500 girls.
The Class of 2026 led this month’s fundraising, organizing T-shirt and sweatshirt sales throughout the school and raising over $1,000 to benefit Chalco. During the February 7 Varsity basketball home game the Juniors raffled off an “Oakie Basket” filled with school spirit items from Oakie Outfitters.
Thinking creatively and taking advantage of the high energy and school spirit at the game, students sold raffle tickets to fans as they cheered for the Chargers in the bleachers. By the end of the evening, the students added significantly to their class fundraiser, raising more than $1,100 total for the charity for the month of February alone.
World Villages Representative Christy George attended the game, donning Oakcrest spirit wear gifted to her from the Junior class. “We are lucky to partner with Oakcrest because it's a strong, Catholic school and includes middle and high school, which are the same ages as the Sister of Mary schools in Chalco and around the world,” Ms. George said. “The students at Oakcrest and in Chalco are united in prayer. It costs $1,500 to fully support 1 student for 1 year, so they can see how many girls they are helping. There are big project needs as well at all the schools. Thank you, Oakcrest!”
The Junior class really came together with great enthusiasm and teamwork for Chalco, which was inspiring to witness!” exclaimed Christina Kilmer, Student Council moderator and Theology teacher. “We are so encouraged by the support from the Oakcrest community for the Junior class’ charity fundraiser this past month.”
In October, World Villages for Children Director of Public Relations Kevin Wells visited Oakcrest. Wells shared with the students that there are thousands of girls at Chalco right now, “and they’re your age,” he said. “Many grow up in great poverty, poverty that we don’t understand, profound poverty, where they might be asked to go out into the field to tend to the farm animals, and to till soil and plant seeds for 10 hours in bare feet, and the come in at the end of the day hungry and there is no food on the table and their feet hurt,” he explained.
Chalco provides education in academic subjects, as well as training in areas such as accounting and dress-making, so that the girls will gain skills and be prepared for the workforce. Chalco also provides a daycare near the school to assist mothers who are working to provide for their families.
Earlier this year students hosted bake sales and wrote Christmas cards for the girls at Chalco. Fundraising for Chalco will continue until the end of the school year, providing students with more opportunities to exercise leadership, think creatively, and further a charitable cause.
