NHS Coffee House, performance with a purpose
The band RNS plays “I want you back” by the Jackson 5 at Coffee House in the auditorium. Seniors Kiran Kumaran, Joseph Casale, Caleb Cabede, Julian Schwendemen, Michael May and sophpomore Owen Cosgrove are pictured from left to right playing the saxophone, electric guitar, trumpet, trombone, drum set and pianos respectively.
May 29, 2022
Each spring, the National Honor Society (NHS) hosts a Coffee House event to bring the community together and raise funds for a relevant charity, natural disaster or crisis. The event includes acts with high school musicians in the performing arts programs or other clubs such as the K-pop club with a dance routine. This spring, Coffee House was used to raise funds for the humanitarian crisis happening in Ukraine through a charity named Alight on May 9.
Alight is a charity that works directly with refugees and humanitarian aid in the crisis happening in Ukraine. Currently this organization is also working in Poland to help displaced people and families find short and long term living situations by pairing with local communities and with companies such as Airbnb. Alight also is working within Ukraine itself to help provide medical supplies, food and other essentials to the people of Ukraine.
The NHS leaders “felt they [Alight] were a very hands-on organization that would make a more direct impact” on the crisis in Ukraine, senior and NHS president Kylie Galowitz said.
To create the biggest impact and help support Alight, 100% of the proceeds from the tickets and donations from concessions went to help support this cause. Concessions were donated to the event by NHS members and attendees could donate at will when enjoying treats and drinks during intermission.
“I think that it’s a great cause and I liked that the organization that they chose is relevant to events going on right now,” senior Meg Balfanz said.
As well as providing for a charity, Coffee House also serves as a way to bring people of the community together. Bands and other types of acts came together to all provide performances to people of the community and to their fellow classmates.
“The audience was really energetic and I felt close and connected with the people I was performing with as well as with the other performing groups,” Owen Cosgrove sophomore member of performing group “RNS,” said.
The NHS Coffee House event was successful in gathering donations and collected over $2,000 to donate to the Alight charity. This money will continue to help fund Alight’s mission of helping those in Ukraine seek refuge in the crisis. To continue to support Alight’s mission visit their website at https://wearealight.org/.
