St. Stan’s Students Raise Funds for Water Access
By MOHAMED FARGHALY
mfarghaly@queensledger.com
Students at St. Stanislaus Kostka Catholic Academy put their faith into action this past Friday, walking three miles around their school to raise funds for clean water initiatives in South Sudan.
The walkathon, which began at 9 a.m., brought together fifth through eighth graders in an act of global service inspired by their English Language Arts curriculum. Seventh graders recently read A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park, a novel based on the true story of Salva Dut, a young Sudanese boy who walked miles each day to find water and safety.
“The seventh graders read A Long Walk to Water, which tells the story of a girl who has to walk far in Sudan to get water,” said Principal Catherine Mangone. “Even though the book was written many years ago, the problem in Sudan still exists. That inspired our seventh-grade students to talk about it with their fifth, sixth, and eighth-grade classmates, and together they decided to hold this walkathon.”
Under the guidance of ELA teacher Rose Rosen, the students collected pledges in the weeks leading up to the event, ultimately raising $917 to support clean water programs in South Sudan. The funds will go toward repairing infrastructure, providing emergency water supplies, and supporting WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) initiatives that combat waterborne diseases such as cholera.
The younger students—from 3K through fourth grade—lined the sidewalks outside the school, cheering and waving handmade signs as the older students passed by. “All of our students, from our little three-year-olds up to fourth grade, stood outside with signs cheering them on,” Mangone said. “It was a beautiful way to show how much we appreciate what they’re doing for the world.”
Seventh graders Lei and Olivia said the walkathon gave them a new understanding of the hardships faced by children in South Sudan. “We had a walkathon to help raise money for clean water access,” said Lei. “We’re reading this book in our ELA class about the people in Sudan and what they had to go through just to get clean water. So we’re raising money to help build a well for them.”
“I think it was a good way to share our faith and help others,” added Olivia. “It’s hard for them to live healthy lives with such dirty water that makes them sick. We wanted to make a difference.”
For Principal Mangone, the project reflects the heart of the school’s mission. “We’re a Catholic school, so Christian service is very important to us,” she said. “To have our students involved in something that makes an impact in the world—this is truly a life-saving effort. The money they raised will help bring clean water to the people of Sudan.”
While this was the first year St. Stan’s held the walkathon, Mangone said it’s likely to become an annual tradition connected to the seventh-grade curriculum. “The seventh grade reads this book every year,” she said. “This is the first time we turned it into a walkathon, and we hope to continue it for years to come.”
