DOVER, NH — Students at Portsmouth Christian Academy set aside their usual dress code for a day and donned pairs of jeans to help contribute to Haiti disaster relief efforts. This fund raising effort was a creative idea proposed by PCA senior Katie Hazell. She, along with two of her classmates, senior Anna Davison and junior Sarah Pease, coordinated this event to raise awareness of the crisis and to provide aid to earthquake victims.

Students were able to purchase a $5 coupon for the chance to wear jeans instead of the standard dress code. Once the event was announced publicly at the school, two anonymous donors came forward from the PCA community and offered matching gifts up to $1,500 and $2,000 respectively. Students, staff, and faculty raised a total of $7,800. All of the funds raised went directly to Heartline Ministries – an organization with a permanent presence in Haiti for more than 15 years, supporting adoption and women's programs.

“Many students gave more. It was touching to see kids bringing in tens and twenties,” said Anna Davison. “In addition to the money brought in by Jeans Day, we also coordinated donations of medical supplies from local hospitals. More than 20 boxes were brought to Partners for World Health in Maine, so that the supplies could be taken to Haiti.”

This disaster struck a personal chord with all three girls. Last summer, they spent two weeks in Haiti on a mission trip in association with Heartline Ministries. The girls participated in an English Camp where they taught life skills as well as educational studies to children ages 4 to 14 at Maranatha Orphanage. When news of the recent earthquake reached Hazell, her initial desire was to be there physically to help out in some way. But she soon realized that was not a possibility for her. Instead, she proposed her idea for a Jeans Day to PCA Principal Steve Foley and within a few days the fundraising project was approved and well underway.

“I was very pleased with the success of the Jeans Day,” stated Katie Hazell. “However, I just want people to remember that the need is not going to go away in a month. It is an ongoing process and the nation of Haiti needs the continued support of our communities to rebuild. This is an essential opportunity for them to grow into a prosperous nation.”

If you too want to help, or simply learn more, visit heartlineministries.org.

Portsmouth Christian Academy is located at 20 Seaborne Drive, Dover, NH. PCA offers a challenging academic curriculum from preschool through high school along with competitive athletic programs and other stimulating extra-curricular activities. For more information, please call 603.742.3617 or visit the school’s web site at www.pcaschool.org.



 

Portsmouth Christian Academy students (left to right), senior Anna Davison, junior Sarah Pease, and senior Katie Hazell organized a Jeans Day event, which raised $7,800 for Heartline Ministries in Haiti. All funds went directly to earthquake victims for recovery and rebuilding.

 


Portsmouth Christian Academy senior Katie Hazell is shown here with a few of her friends from the Maranatha Orphanage in Haiti, where she spent two weeks last summer teaching English and life skills with Heartline Ministries.