Holy Cross Students Build Cardboard Arcade for Charity

RUMSON, NJ—“Luck is on your side today,” predicted Michael Dunn’s fortune cookie. Dunn of Middletown who is a Seventh Grade student at Holy Cross School, won the cookie and other prizes at the Cardboard Arcade Day fundraiser for charity, hosted by the school’s Fourth Grade. “I think the arcade is pretty cool,” he said, surveying more than twenty games with colorful names such as Crash and Burn, Plinko, Twirl a Whirl and Alpine Slide that the Fourth Grade students built from cardboard boxes. Luck definitely was on the side of the other students in the Catholic elementary school who came away with prizes, both large and small; an appreciation for the creativity of their classmates; and an awareness of the need for clean water in African villages—the catalyst for the fundraiser.

The money raised from the arcade will go to the Hundred Pump Project, a collaboration between Design Outreach, World Vision and private donors, to install 100 Life Pumps in five African countries this year. The pumps will provide long-lasting, clean water for tens of thousands of people in African villages.

The young entrepreneurs exceeded their fundraising goal of $1000. After a preview Arcade Day for families, donations started coming in from parents as well. An anonymous donor offered to match the amount raised. “There is a real possibility that we will reach $3000,” said Fourth Grade teacher, Maryjane Gallo. “The response from the students and from the parents has been phenomenal.”

In addition to having fun and engaging in community service, the project was a valuable learning opportunity for the Fourth Graders who also created posters and spoke to every class to promote the event throughout the school.

“We learned about Guinea worm disease that affects African communities that do not have safe water to drink and read the book A Long Walk to Water,” explained Gallo. “We try to support whatever the children choose for their charitable project and make it more meaningful.”

The idea for the charity of choice began as a dinner-table conversation in the home of Fourth Grade student, Paige Jaenicke of Middletown. Her father, Brian, heard a presentation at his workplace about the Hundred Pump Project. “I showed Paige the website and didn’t think anything more about it,” he recalled. “I was shocked when she told me she had a meeting with the Principal.”

“I couldn’t believe people didn’t have water,” explained Paige Jaenicke. So I thought we could do something about it.” She enlisted the help of her friends Mia Strazzella of Fair Haven, Charlotte Memon of Middletown, and Nina Mazzacco of Rumson to lobby for the charity and Mrs. Gallo who suggested the arcade.

The Fourth Grade students enthusiastically adopted the project and worked together to conceive of and build their games. Stephen Makin and Christopher Stypa of Rumson built Crash and Burn that challenged drivers to steer a car on a moving, curvy road.

Barrett Heine of Middletown and Owen Kenney of Rumson engineered a ball return using a network of PVC pipes for their game, aptly named Barrett’s & Owen’s Arcade. “The first thing they’ll see is a bucket of candy and then our amazing game,” exclaimed Heine who eagerly collected tickets from the players. “It’s awesome,” added Kenney, “because it’s for Africa.”

Holy Cross School, a Preschool through 8th Grade program, delivers a healthy balance of faith formation, academic excellence, and personal growth in a welcoming family atmosphere. Visit www.holycrossschoolrumson.org.