BLYTHEWOOD – Students at Blythewood and Westwood High Schools shared their love of helping others with people throughout the Midlands and beyond this year through Richland Two’s service projects.
The annual fundraisers also benefit the students, who are able to practice valuable leadership and service skills. Each year students at all five of the district’s high schools, in collaboration with elementary and middle schools, lead school-wide service projects. These projects are designed to encourage students to explore, understand and address needs within the community.
Each school has a unique name for its holiday fundraiser: Holiday Wishes at Blythewood High, HOPE (Helping Other People Everywhere) 365 at Richland Northeast High, Winter Wishes at Ridge View High, Winter Days at Spring Valley High and W.O.W. Wishes of Westwood at Westwood High. Many of these programs have expanded into year-long drives that involve not only goods but also community service.
This year all five Richland Two schools collected 48,840 non-perishable food items, $30,691 in monetary donations, 2,280 toiletries, 2,630 items for homeless outreach, 667 books, 610 pairs of socks, 419 toys, 100 scarves, 80 hats, 2 shawls, 130 washcloths, and 16 pints of blood. Schools also adopted 40 families and collected 400 gifts for Prisma Health Children’s Hospital-Midlands, 1,441 gifts for Midlands Orphan Relief, and 875 items for Palmetto Animal Assisted Life Services (PAALS). Nine-hundred and 10 meals were also provided.
Donations are going to various organizations in the community, including the ones previously mentioned and the American Red Cross for Hurricane Helene relief, Harvest Hope Food Bank, Sistercare, the Troy Moore Memorial Scholarship and Families Helping Families program.
Richland Two employees at the District Office also contributed by filling holiday wish lists for 13 families with 43 children in the district.
