The school calendar committee met recently and decided to move Charity Bash from December to late February and early March. Although Student Council’s decision to reschedule Charity Bash will leave the holiday season more open, the event’s move from its current date will appeal to more frugal or busy students, while offering new opportunities for students to donate.
The Student Council originally desired to move charity Bash because of the results of a poll its members conducted.
“We survey every year at the end of Charity Bash,” Chris Bennett, Student Council sponsor, said. “Two years ago, we started to see answers from students saying the schedule was too full, there were too many things to spend money on, and they couldn’t get their homework done.”
This year’s poll returned with similar results, so Student Council decided to move Charity Bash to a different time of year, when the events could be more spread out.
Many aspects of the new Charity Bash make it a more appealing choice. While Charity Bash used to last two and a half weeks, the new Charity Bash will now span three weeks, with one major event each week. This setup will give Student Council members more time to prepare for activities and give students more time to attend after school activities and get their homework done.
The new Charity Bash date also means Charity Bash will have new sources for donations. Instead of receiving the proceeds from the Winter Ball, the rescheduled Charity Bash will receive a portion of the proceeds from Turnabout. The Spring Band, Orchestra, and Choir concerts have also agreed to donate a portion to the cause.
The move to March will also be easier on students who spend lots of money buying presents during the holidays and feel pressed for cash during Charity Bash.
One downside of moving Charity Bash is that the holiday season will be left empty of opportunities for students who want to give. Bennett, however, is convinced other clubs will fill in the gap.
“Before we had Charity Bash, a lot of clubs sponsored [holiday charity events]. I’m going to guest that a lot of clubs are going to bring those back,” Bennett said.
No matter what time Charity Bash is, its main purpose is for students to donate to an important cause. Although the new time will make Charity Bash easier for students, its greatest value is that people who benefit and rely on those charities will receive the help they need.