Bainbridge students raise more than $10,000 to help Ometepe residents

Published 11:22 am Tuesday, February 10, 2015

A unique calendar project produced by The Island School students has raised more than $10,000 to support crucial projects on Bainbridge’s sister island.

The 2015 “Birds of Bainbridge” calendar sold for $10 over a period of three weekends. Along with designing the calendar, students were also required to sell them as well. The funds benefit Ometepe, a Nicaraguan island more than 3,000 miles away from Bainbridge.

“I was very pleased. This is not totally unexpected, although I think this is the largest amount (raised) in a while,” said Donald Duprey, president of Bainbridge Ometepe Sister Islands Association (BOSIA).

BOSIA was formed to help build “bridges of friendship” between Bainbridge and Ometepe.

On Monday, students presented a faux large paper check to a BOSIA member during a special presentation where they spoke about why they chose to fund certain programs like university scholarships for local students.

“They really get into it with the calendar. They work so well together. They take pride in the calendar, and then they’re out there on the street with their parents selling it,” Duprey said.

Fifth- and second-graders teamed up for the project.

For the calendar, the second-graders drew local birds, while the older students researched facts on the birds native to Bainbridge Island.

For the last 21 years, the calendar project was done by public elementary schools in the community. After the teachers in charge retired, The Island School stepped up to the plate to take on the project, said Betsy Carroll, a fifth-grade teacher.

As part of the project, fifth-graders heard from various BOSIA speakers and researched possible programs to support in Ometepe, including rebuilding efforts after devastating mudslides damaged communities. After much debate, they chose to divvy up the funds across eight different programs.

BOSIA, in turn, will send the funds to the appropriate programs.

Carroll said students were “nickeling and diming” when it came to where they thought funds could be best used and how much to give to each one. Carroll — along with teachers Mike Derzon, Ursula Pontieri and teaching assistant Barb Ferrin — helped with the project.

“I hope that they feel a connection to our sister island — that they look at the world differently,” said Carroll. “And I know that they have such big hearts that they will make a big difference.”

Even though this is the first year The Island School has done the project, it went surprisingly well, according to school staff.

“Our little school got out there. The kids did a great job selling,” said Trish King, head of school. “We were all really amazed. We were frankly surprised by what they raised.”

For 22 years now, the Kids Can Make a Difference calendar fundraiser has supported the communities on Ometepe. Started by teacher Alice Mendoza and her third-graders, the calendar project has shifted around the community several times, but the impact is always the same: Raise money for those in need.

Over the years, funds from the calendar sale have supported various community projects, including scholarships for Ometepe students, textbooks for high schoolers, art supplies for elementary students and more.

To learn more about the Bainbridge Ometepe Sister Island Association, visit www.bosia.org.

Where the funds will go

Si a la Vida, a residential program for at-risk boys: $1,100

Weekend ambulance driver: $650

Extra Edad program, an elementary school program that allows older students to continue their education rather than dropping out: $2,000

Two university scholarships: $2,000

Support a program on preventing sexual and domestic violence: $400

Library books for eight schools: $1,600

Ten Sign Language Workshops for deaf students and parents: $1,000

Community Projects: $2,012.63