Last year when the goal for Charity Ball 2015 was announced I almost laughed out loud. “The goal is $100,000 this year!”, they told us. In my head I told myself they’re out of their minds, there is absolutely no way fifty something high school students could raise that much money in three months.
But we went out there and knocked on every door, called every person we knew, emailed every doctor and dentist office we had ever been to. Ticket sales went live, Homeroom Wars began, and the money started to grow: $10,000, $55,000, $80,000, until it was finally December 12th… Charity Ball. Everyone on Student Council knew we were hovering somewhere in the $90,000 range but none of us knew if we had actually reached our goal.
I anxiously waited the moment of the check reveal. Finally at 9 o’clock the check was brought out and it was the moment of truth… “This year Enloe Student Council has raised… ONE- HUNDRED AND EIGHTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS!” Marbles Kids Museum was quiet for a moment and then the entire room burst out cheering. I looked over at my friend and she was yelling, “We did it! You guys did it!” That night I was so proud of myself, Enloe, and Student Council for reaching our goal, so excited for our impact on our community, and bittersweet because it was over.
That was my first ever charity ball, and as I reflect back on that I remember how I thought we would never reach our goal. How back in October I was skeptical whenever someone posted #100k. But that night everything had changed for me. I had finally realized what Charity Ball meant. Charity Ball wasn’t just a chance for us raise money to make an impact. No, it was a chance for us to bring our community together. Because it wasn’t just fifty-something students raising $118,000, but instead an entire community making an impact on thousands of lives.
Now, almost a year later we are amidst our greatest challenge yet: raising $120,000 for Urban Ministries. Do I believe we can single- handedly do it? No I don’t, but I know we can do it with the help of our friends, our school, and our community.
Sanjana Tharuvesanchi
Sophomore Council Advisory Representative