NSU’s chapter of UNICEF is hosting a Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF donation drive until the middle of November to raise money for the UNICEF organization, which provides aide to developing countries.
Trick-or-treat boxes will be distributed to schools, students and organizations to collect money raised throughout the drive.
Khadija Chowdhury, junior biology major and president of UNICEF Club, said that anyone in the community can ask for a box and that any amount of donation helps the cause.
“All of these donations go directly toward UNICEF, which works locally to provide basic needs to people,” Chowdhury said. “Anyone that participates will have the satisfaction that their funds aren’t going somewhere else—they’re going directly to help people.”
Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF was started by the international organization in 1950, and since its inception, has raised more than $119 million. According to unicef.org, it costs $1 to protect a child from polio, $1 to immunize a child from measles, $2 to provide 66 children with vitamin A capsules for a year, $2.46 to buy school supplies to last one child a year and $9 to buy a pack of 200 water purification tablets.
As part of the drive, UNICEF Club partnered with Key Point Academy Brickell and Nova Blanche Forman Elementary schools to help raise money. All students were provided with trick-or-treat boxes to collect money from families and friends. Chowdhury said that the organization promised the schools that the classrooms that raise the most money will receive a prize, which has yet to be determined.
Last year was the first year UNICEF Club hosted Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF, and they raised over $7,000, placing them as one of the top five fundraising UNICEF clubs in the country. Chowdhury said that this year, the organization hopes to raise close to $10,000 so that they can be in the top three organizations in the country.
Chowdhury became affiliated with UNICEF Club during her freshman year and said that since then, she has seen the organization develop.
“I kind of grew with the organization. I want to continue to see it grow, and hopefully we can exceed our goals,” she said.
Chowdhury explained that she became interested in UNICEF after visiting Bangladesh, her parents’ home. According to Global Finance Magazine, Bangladesh ranks as the 45th poorest country in the world.
“It was really enlightening to see poverty firsthand and see all these little kids working instead of going to school or being able to play outside,” Chowdhury said. “Knowing that I’m part of an organization that provides to kids in these impoverished nations is really good for me because I know I’m helping in some kind of way. Even if I can’t help them directly, my funds are going somewhere that can directly help them.”
Students and organizations interested in donating or hosting a trick-or-treat box for the drive can contact to Chowdhury at kc1358@nova.edu.
