STAND Hosts Second Annual Dresses for Darfur
Printer-friendly versionAmity STAND (Students Taking Action Now: Darfur) held the 2nd annual Dresses for Darfur fundraiser on Thursday, April 22, in which students had the opportunity to buy dresses that one another had previously donated to the cause. Colorful streamers and signs adorned the cafeteria, and racks of dresses grouped by size were the central attraction. The club raised $433, making the event their most successful fundraiser to date.
Junior Alisha Roopchand, co-president, explained the advantages of selling dresses. “This is better than a bake sale because people want to buy dresses, especially cheap ones. They’re not just buying something because they feel obligated to donate. It’s a cool event, one that a lot of people would be interested in even if there was no cause behind it.”
STAND plans to send the money, along with $150 from a previous fundraiser, to Genocide Intervention Network (GI-Net), a contribution totaling $580 thus far in the year. Additionally, the club is looking to participate in (and hopefully win) a raffle to win a visit from artist and activist Omékongo, who witnessed the genocide first hand, to have him speak to the Amity student body. STAND chapters receive one ticket for every $5 donated to GI-Net, giving Amity STAND a current total of 116 tickets.
This is not only the second year that Dresses for Darfur has been held; it is also the second year of STAND’s existence at Amity. STAND is a student anti-genocide coalition with three main focuses: fundraising to further the relief effort in genocide stricken areas, most notably Darfur, Sudan; educating others about Darfur and genocide as a whole; and preventing future genocides through lobbying and other advocacy efforts.
In the past, STAND has lobbied Rosa DeLauro’s office for more relief funding and the implementation of recommendations made by the Genocide Prevention Task Force. The club has grown significantly since its inaugural year; last year, three members went to the STAND national conference, and this year ten attended.
The club has four co-presidents and founders, all juniors: Maya Brownstein, Christine Guo, Sivan Battat, and Roopchand. “We started the club last year, and it just grew from there,” said Battat.
She brought the idea to Amity after realizing that involving other students in the club would be much more successful than her individual fundraising efforts. “I find genocide to be a very compelling issue, and I knew a lot of other people would be interested as well.”
A common question the group is asked is “Why are you involved?” Junior Emily Feng, who chaired the fundraiser, explained, “People who live in the same town or community are willing to help others who live there because they feel connected to them. It’s important for people living on the same planet to feel connected and help each other out as well. We live on Earth, not just in Connecticut or the United States.”
Roopchand added, “As Americans, we’re kind of isolated. We’re not necessarily informed about what’s going on in other countries because we’re in a very developed and successful country, and it doesn’t affect us. STAND is working to change that, to educate people here.”
