Students at the Kuwait American School (KAS) organized a charity expo on April 28th to raise awareness for mesothelioma research. After their beloved school director Mrs. Wajeeha Al Habib fell to mesothelioma cancer, the student body rallied and proposed to the school the idea of an open bazaar. Thirty small businesses sold their services and unique products to guests. Booths comprised of businesses offering desserts, summer programs, accessories, and others, with the entrance fee and booth rent given to a “Cure Mesothelioma” booth organized and run by the student body. Even with such a short period of planning, KAS gave their students full support for this heartfelt idea, and allowed for the collection of donations at the Cure Meso booth.
Have a look at the KAS publication StudenTalk magazine’s “Activities That Stand Out” to read their own coverage of the event.
Raising funds and awareness about mesothelioma cancer isn’t easy, and still people want to know more about how to organize an event. We see that in the amount of people visiting our 6 Tips on Planning Your Own Fundraiser blogpost. It’s when you hear stories from Erica Iacono and Janice Malkotsis, you discover, that planning fundraisers is simply answering a call. When it comes to this the KAS student body displayed the drive and spirit needed in doing just that, and taking an idea to full fruition as a successful fundraiser.
At the end of the event, the KAS charity bazaar proved highly successful with over 1000 attendees, numerous contributions from sponsors, and held in the presence of H.E. Sheikha Awrad Jaber Al Ahmed Al Jaber Al Sabah. The event also gained momentum on blogs, and in local newspapers and magazines. The students of KAS raised for the Meso Foundation $19,826, truly an accomplishment from the heart. This event, KAS school administration and students alike, was a one-of-a-kind, the cause of furthering mesothelioma research and believing in a cure deeply touching all who took part.
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We at the Meso Foundation thank all those at KAS for their determination, vision, and planning of this incredible tribute to Wajeeha Al Habib, and we sincerely hope to hear more from them, and from other mesothelioma warriors around the world, of overcoming their own challenges and achieving accomplishments for raising awareness.
