Yesterday, the lower school held its annual pajama assembly to commemorate the end of another successful pajama and book drive. Every year, third graders coordinate the collection of pajamas and books to be donated to the Pajama Program, which then delivers the items to children living in shelters and temporary housing. The drive was established in 2007 when Rishi Narain ’16, then in the third grade, was inspired by seeing the Pajama Program promoted by Oprah Winfrey. This year’s drive collected 213 pairs of pajamas and 377 books.
Students celebrated by wearing their pajamas to school and gathering in the gym with their favorite books. Third graders in attendance were joined by their grade 10 Eagle Buddies, who also brought books to share with their younger friends. After some appreciative words from the Pajama Program’s Bay Area chapter president, Pallie Zambrano, upper school division head Butch Keller took his place on the stage to read a pair of children’s books to the audience.
Last Friday, middle school students made special pouches for Australian wildlife orphaned in the bushfires that have been ravaging the country. Students used cut-out patterns to sew the pouches, which were sent to the Oakland Zoo to be delivered to Australia. “The middle school’s Student Leadership Council did a presentation on the Australian fires at a school meeting, and [Assistant Head of School] Patricia Lai Burrows asked me to talk as I had just returned from Australia,” said math teacher Margaret Huntley, who is originally from Australia. “We were brainstorming about what we could do in response and I had seen this in the news.”
Fabric for the pouches was donated by the faculty, and some students have continued cutting fabric for more pouches, which Huntley hopes to send very soon.
Last week, grade 9 students went to Rancho Cañada del Oro Open Space Preserve in Morgan Hill for Freshman Service Day, working to clear and widen the preserve’s trails. The annual effort, which takes place on days when sophomores and juniors take the PSAT, helps students gain a greater appreciation for the various nature preserves in the Bay Area.
Volunteers at the preserve also taught students about various topics, including tracking wildlife, native plants and bird watching, and Harker teachers in attendance led outdoor classes on observing and appreciating nature, journaling and the environment.
This article originally appeared in the summer 2019 issue of Harker Magazine.
Every spring semester, two events bring the Harker community together to honor the lives of those afflicted with cancer as well as raise money for an organization working to improve the lives of children living with the disease. The middle school’s annual Cancer Walk and upper school’s Kicks Against Cancer – established in 2007 and 2010, respectively – have raised more than $100,000 for Camp Okizu, an organization that offers free camping activities to Northern California-based families whose children are fighting cancer.
All of the funds raised from both events are donated to the organization, currently in its 38th year of operation. “We serve more than 3,000 people each year by providing a place where they can escape the trials of pediatric cancer, find adventure and joy in a camp setting, and meet peers who truly understand what it’s like to be navigating a cancer diagnosis,” said Sarah Uldricks, Camp Okizu’s director of marketing and special events.
Located in the Sierra foothills, Camp Okizu’s facility comprises more than 500 acres of picturesque landscapes perfect for outdoor activities such as hiking, fishing, archery or simply walking and enjoying the scenery.
Harker and Camp Okizu first started collaborating in 2007, when former computer science teacher Michael Schmidt approached the organization after kicking off the Cancer Walk. Schmidt’s mother succumbed to cancer the previous year. “Since then, it has been used as a moment for our entire community to come together and celebrate the lives of those we love and those we’ve lost,” Schmidt told the Harker Quarterly (now Harker Magazine) in 2016. “It is a symbolic walk that is measured not by the miles covered, but by the love and understanding between us all.”
The Cancer Walk has since become a staple event for the Harker community, with hundreds of students, parents and faculty from all campuses participating each year by purchasing T-shirts, baked goods and other items before and at the event. With few exceptions, the sunny spring weather has proved very accommodating to the many who arrive to walk the field in honor of loved ones (or loved ones of loved ones) who have succumbed to or are currently battling cancer.
When Schmidt departed Harker in 2017, he handed the reins to middle school BEST director Lorena Martinez, who was happy to assume the role. “The responsibility is huge, but I love it,” she said. “I’m able to work with the parents, I’m able to work with student council, the teachers and the administration and we’ve all just been able to brainstorm some really cool ideas.”
After listening to suggestions from the Harker community, Martinez began adding carnival-like activities, such as games and face-painting, to help generate more funds and contribute more to the event’s festive atmosphere. It also resulted in more people eager to volunteer. “I’ve had parents for the last three years enjoy it so much that they tell me, ‘We’re going help you every year,’” she said. “What’s been really cool is seeing those parents excited to work booths again.”
In January 2010, the upper school girls soccer team began a fundraiser of its own, coinciding with a pair of upcoming home games. Students sold T-shirts and wristbands to promote the event, and the very first Kicks Against Cancer generated about $2,500 for the American Red Cross. The following year, organizers decided to donate funds to Camp Okizu.
In addition to rooting for the soccer teams, the Kicks Against Cancer event also includes halftime activities such as “Butts Up,” in which participants donate money to kick a soccer ball at a bent-over faculty member. Student groups also have put together pre-game tailgate gatherings and sold baked goods. Prior to the games, the athletes get to know the camp’s children by meeting with them at a special dinner event.
Senior Julia Amick, one of the organizers of this year’s Kicks Against Cancer, has been looking forward to being a part of the event since she began watching the games as a lower school student. “I have been going to the annual Kicks Against Cancer game ever since my brother and sister played in the games during their time in high school,” she recalled. “My sister also helped plan the event during her junior and senior years.”
Co-organizer Ria Gupta, also a senior, played in her first Kicks Against Cancer game in grade 9, and was similarly inspired to help put on the event. “After experiencing my first Kicks Against Cancer game, it became something I looked forward to every soccer season. I loved helping out in any way I could,” she said. The eagerness and enthusiasm shown by Harker students in benefiting Camp Okizu over the years has stood out to its staff. “We have noticed that the Harker students are always curious to learn, enthusiastic to help and are really connected to the importance of giving back,” said Uldricks. “The fact that every group of students continues to go above and beyond to support our campers and families shows that you have a tremendous group of future leaders in your midst.”
Amick particularly enjoys how her work with Kicks Against Cancer offers the opportunity to interact and bond with the people helped by Camp Okizu. “One part of the event I especially love is planning and attending the dinner. We set the date for the dinner and we ask all the teams (girls varsity, boys varsity and boys junior varsity) to attend and to bring stuff for the kids to play with,” she said. “It’s such an amazing part of the event because everyone gets to bond with the kids and we get to see for ourselves what a great cause we are raising money for.”
Stu Kaplan, who joined Camp Okizu as executive director in early 2019, already has noticed the dedication that sets the Harker community apart. “There really is something special about when kids are being generous in spirit and in effort for other kids,” he said, “and just understanding that there are kids who really benefit from their work and their effort is a super special thing.”
In April, the student-run nonprofit organization Nanoseed held a special benefit concert at the Rothschild Performing Arts Center. The concert featured performances by pianist Nina Zhou and trumpeter Dylan Girard of the San Francisco Symphony, and Anna Maria Mendieta, a harpist with the Sacramento Philharmonic. The concert also featured performances by Harker students Kai-Ming Ang, Charlotte Blanc, Jessica Jiang, Hanoom Lee, Anna Miner and Jeffrey Yang, all rising seniors; rising junior Audrey Liu; and rising sophomores Spencer Cha, Karolyn Cheng and Angeline Kiang.
The concert raised approximately $8,000 to help reduce poverty in rural China. Several members of Nanoseed are currently wrapping up a trip to Ningxia, an autonomous region of China, where they are providing local students and entrepreneurs with loans and grants.
At yesterday’s school meeting, Zachary Wong ’19 was presented with The Forgotten International’s 2019 Compassion Award for his work bringing water to impoverished regions of Nepal via the nonprofit organization Water In Nepal, which Wong founded and runs with other California high school students.
Founded in 2007, The Forgotten International works to alleviate extreme poverty around the world, especially for women and children, by supporting community organizations it believes will have the most impact.
Wong traveled to Kathmandu, Nepal, in December of last year to help construct a sedimentation tank for the village of Patlyachaap. The sedimentation tank filters out sludge that builds up in water sourced from a pond near the village and is expected to last up to 100 years.
After being presented with the award, Wong thanked his parents and teachers and reminded the students to “remain kind, remain compassionate, remain grounded.”
NanoSeed, a student-run nonprofit organization dedicated to helping impoverished areas of rural China, will present a special benefit concert on Saturday, April 20, at the upper school’s Rothschild Performing Arts Center.
Featured performers at the event will be pianist Nina Zhou and trumpeter Dylan Girard of the San Francisco Symphony, and harpist Anna Maria Mendieta of the Sacramento Symphony. In addition to these accomplished performers, the concert will feature performances by a wide variety of students singers, instrumentalists and dancers.
NanoSeed, founded in 2014 by students at Harker and other Bay Area schools, provides low-interest loans so that students can further their education and entrepreneurs can found businesses. Proceeds from the concert will be put toward these loans to help bolster the economies of developing regions of China.
The concert will start at 7 p.m. and tickets can be purchased at http://tiny.cc/nsbc. Refreshments will be served prior to the concert. Direct donations to NanoSeed can be made at http://tiny.cc/nsdonate.
NanoSeed, a student-run nonprofit organization dedicated to helping impoverished areas of rural China, will present a special benefit concert on Saturday, April 20, at the upper school’s Rothschild Performing Arts Center.
Featured performers at the event will be pianist Nina Zhou and trumpeter Dylan Girard of the San Francisco Symphony, and harpist Anna Maria Mendieta of the Sacramento Symphony. In addition to these accomplished performers, the concert will feature performances by a wide variety of students singers, instrumentalists and dancers.
NanoSeed, founded in 2014 by students at Harker and other Bay Area schools, provides low-interest loans so that students can further their education and entrepreneurs can found businesses. Proceeds from the concert will be put toward these loans to help bolster the economies of developing regions of China.
The concert will start at 7 p.m. and tickets can be purchased at http://tiny.cc/nsbc. Refreshments will be served prior to the concert. Direct donations to NanoSeed can be made at http://tiny.cc/nsdonate.
NanoSeed, a student-run nonprofit organization dedicated to helping impoverished areas of rural China, will present a special benefit concert on Saturday, April 20, at the upper school’s Rothschild Performing Arts Center.
Featured performers at the event will be pianist Nina Zhou and trumpeter Dylan Girard of the San Francisco Symphony, and harpist Anna Maria Mendieta of the Sacramento Symphony. In addition to these accomplished performers, the concert will feature performances by a wide variety of students singers, instrumentalists and dancers.
NanoSeed, founded in 2014 by students at Harker and other Bay Area schools, provides low-interest loans so that students can further their education and entrepreneurs can found businesses. Proceeds from the concert will be put toward these loans to help bolster the economies of developing regions of China.
The concert will start at 7 p.m. and tickets can be purchased at http://tiny.cc/nsbc. Refreshments will be served prior to the concert. Direct donations to NanoSeed can be made at http://tiny.cc/nsdonate.
Earlier this month, the lower school hosted the Kids Heart Challenge to raise money for the American Heart Association as well as increase awareness of the importance of a healthy lifestyle. Formerly known as Jump Rope for Heart, the event raised $13,067 as students jumped rope and hula-hooped to show their enthusiasm for the fun and healthy benefits of exercise. Schools across the country hold their own Kids Heart Challenge events every year, and Harker’s involvement stretches back to 2000, when it was brought to the lower school by P.E. teacher Jim McGovern. To date, Harker has raised more than $200,000 for the American Heart Association.