SHH to Fund New Orphanage
2 min readBy NIA BENTALL
Students Helping Honduras (SHH) is trying to fundraise for $30,000 in order to establish a children’s orphanage in Villa Soleada, Honduras, the village created by the SHH effort.
SHH, founded by UMW alumnus Shin Fujiyama, will be holding a 5k race, volleyball tournament and a Zumbathon in order to achieve their goal.
The children’s orphanage in Villa Soleada is an orphanage that SHH has barely completed but the effort for which was rushed of the nearby state orphanage burning down in November 2011. Many children did not have a place to go so SHH decided to open the orphanage as a work in progress.
SHH currently takes care of 12 children and is working on making the orphanage capable of housing more children and providing them with clean food, water and security, according to James Cruz, SHH president at UMW.
The 5k run is scheduled for March 17. Students can register online for a $20 registration fee, or $25 registration fee the day of the event. All participants receive a free t-shirt, and there are awards for the top three participants.
Additionally, the SHH has scheduled a volleyball tournament for March 31 at 10 a.m., for which students can register a team by email. There is a $10 registration fee, which comes with two raffle tickets, according to Cruz.
Students will receive an additional raffle ticket for every $5 subsequently raised. Prizes include a Kindle Fire, a $100 Chipotle gift card and gift cards to The Melting Pot, Sullivans and other Fredericksburg businesses.
“We’re trying to make the volleyball tournament into a UMW community event,” said Cruz.
There will be performances from the Performing Arts Club and Bhangra Beat, as well as free food.
Additionally, there will be a Zumbathon, a two-hour Latin dance-inspired program that involves dance and aerobics, on March 25 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the Great Hall. The entrance fee is $5 for students and $10 for non-students.
“For me, some of the biggest reasons I get involved is that SHH is an organization that started here and that’s growing, its supporting diversity, and helping kids,” said Cruz.
