Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Commonwealth Connections Academy Event

Check out this article from a recent event that happened in Lehighton, PA


By GAIL MAHOLICK gmaholick@tnonline.com


Gail Maholick/TIMES NEWS Chris Herbert, 12, of Gilbert, a Commonwealth Connections Academy student, prepares for a free throw during the Hoops of Hope event held recently at the Lehighton Middle School.

Commonwealth Connections Academy students recently played a game of basketball against their teachers and the winner was Hoops of Hope. The game was played at the Lehighton Area Middle School.

Hoops of Hope is a shoot-a-thon where participants take pledges for shots. The goal of Hoops for Hope is to raise awareness and funds for children who have been orphaned by HIV/AIDS in Zambia, Africa.

All funds raised through free throw marathons go directly to World Vision's Hope Initiative which targets care for orphan children in highly affected areas. Free throws represent the thousands of children orphaned each day and will raise money to build a second medical lab in Chilala, Zambia.

The $1,000 raised by the students who live in the local area, but take classes via the Internet will be used to help build a school and medical facility in Zambia.

Hoops of Hope was started by Austin, 15-year-old boy who wanted to help AIDS orphans in Africa. Austin was 10 years old when he started the event, which grew and grew and the annual basketball shoot-a-thon now has three national event dates.

Douglas Miedel, school outreach coordinator, Commonwealth Connections Academy, said that 14 students and 17 staff members took part in the event.

Six of the students had pledges of $100, plus there was a basket raffle and students and staff vied to win a basket worth $80.

Players paid $5 a shot to win the basket. A young student won the prize. Plus Miedel noted that Commonwealth Connections Academy donated $500 toward the cause.

"It was great for the children because they got to meet their teachers face-to-face, many for the first time," said Kim Evans, local community coordinator.

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Great job students of Commonwealth Connections Academy! We appreciate your help in changing lives of children in Africa.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

connections academy is awesome.
I just started as a 10th grade student this year, and it is my first time in cyber school, and i adore it. So much time, great teachers, the education is top, and it is a pleasant experience. All students and parents should check out this wonderfyl program. you don't know what you are doing to you kids emotionally by having them in a normal public school. Cyber school is a milllionnnnnnnn times better.