The Empowerment Club hosted a charity ‘color walk’ April 19, titled ‘Different Kids, Different Needs.’ The event, organized by sophomores Lillian Fruy and Priya Fisher, supports several charities and is designed to give back to the community and children in need of assistance. For this year’s ‘color walk,’ Fruy chose the charity ‘Almost Home Kids,’ while Fisher decided on ‘CRY (Child Rights and You),’ with both charities raising substantial funds to benefit children across the globe.
“The process to set-up this event involves buying the colors for the event and putting them in cups for the participants. They will either give us a cash or online donation, then we hand them the cups with different colors and they are able to throw the color at their friends, family, or themselves,” Fruy said. “This year we asked for a starting donation of $5 per person. The money we made through this fundraiser was split between the two charities that Priya and I chose. The goal of this was just to get enough money that our donation truly made an impact. Both Priya and I were super happy with the amount of money that we raised for these organizations even after splitting it in half.”
Fruy’s chosen charity, ‘Almost Home Kids,’ is run through Lurie Children’s Hospital and is devoted to helping transition kids with special medical needs from the hospital to their homes. Fruy described wanting to be a part of something greater, to assist others and make an impact on their lives.
“I found Almost Home Kids recently and was looking forward to volunteering there so I could help children who are not as fortunate as me. However, I am currently too young to volunteer there, so I began looking for another way to give some of my time which led me to joining Priya on her Color Run,” Fruy said. “As a result of Priya’s charity also giving back to children, we were able to make it an event that focused on helping less fortunate children. I’m so happy that we were able to figure out a way to help others and raise the money to make a difference.”
Similarly, Fisher also had a passion for wanting to help others in need. During a visit she had to the Taj Mahal Winter 2024, she discovered this trait about herself and looked for any opportunity she could to make a difference.
“My family and I had taken a trip to India. Outside of the Taj Mahal, I saw a young girl, around seven years old, performing on a tightrope about 20 feet above the ground while holding a heavy metal pole. Her mom was next to her and was asking tourists for money. We saw the girl when we first arrived at the Taj Mahal, and she was still on the tightrope about six hours later when we were leaving,” Fisher said.
Fisher’s encounter with the young girl eventually led her to start the ‘color walk’ last year.
“This image of a young child doing tricks to beg for money instead of in school stayed in my mind for the rest of the trip. When I got home, I knew I wanted to help other children in India who were in similar situations,” Fisher said. “I did some research and found the ‘CRY’ organization. ‘CRY’ provides underprivileged kids with school supplies and other learning resources so they can learn instead of begging for money on the streets.”
In working with these organizations, Fisher has found peace in knowing that these children will be getting the help she believes they deserve. However, Fisher and Fruy acknowledged that organizing the walk each year is no easy task. Preparation includes gathering supplies, making posters, and learning the ins and outs of online payments.
“Priya and Lillian did a fantastic job organizing the charity walk. They learned how to market the event and how to reach out to their elementary schools,” Empowerment Club sponsor Karen Sphar-Thomas said.
Through their marketing and networking, Fisher and Fruy were able to double the number of participants in comparison to last year. The walk had generated $600, with both charities receiving $300. In following years, Fisher and Fruy hope to expand the event, accumulating more attention and participation, and increased proceeds as a result.
