BOUNTIFUL -- For the past 20 years, Viewmont High School has been raising money for the children of Guadalupe. Guadalupe is a K-3 school for underprivileged children in Northwest Salt Lake City, very close to Rose Park. The students at Viewmont have spent the past month trying to reach their goal of $25,500. The students surpassed their goal by over $9,000 with a total of approximately $34,650 raised. All of the money that exceeds the Guadalupe needs is spent on local charities.

There is a lot of creativity and dedication to the various projects from students to reach such a goal.

A competition between teachers' first period classes brings in quite a bit of money as annual front runners Bonnie Pearce, the dance teacher, and Jason Smith, a coach and history teacher, battle for ultimate bragging rights.

With her dance concert high of $1,800, Pearce took the trophy and glory for this year.

Lunchtime activities such as throwing pies at the student body officers, a carnival, Cold Stone ice cream and a coin toss were great ways for kids to get involved in the cause while getting something in return.

The ultimate tradition comes when the guy officers, and anyone brave enough to join, shave their heads if the goal is reached.

This year the girl officers, and other brave souls, are donating 10 inches of their hair to 'Locks for Love' a charity that creates wigs for cancer patients.

Also, every student who is interested in going to Guadalupe must raise $130 in order to be eligible. Those who complete the requirements are then matched up with a Guadalupe buddy who they then shop and wrap presents for. The shopping occurs two days before, at 5 a.m., at Kmart in Woods Cross with a budget of $130 for their child.

Along with presents, food is given to each family who has a student at Guadalupe. When the day comes, students board busses with a garbage bag full of presents and anxiously wait to meet their new buddy.

After a brief meeting the students go and find their child and proceed to open presents. The children and their buddies then break in the new toys and soon form an inseparable bond. The students leave with a greater appreciation for their circumstances and a new understanding of the season.

Former first lady Barbara Bush sums it up when she said, "Giving frees us from the familiar territory of our own needs by opening our mind to the unexplained world occupied by the needs of others."

Through my extended involvement with Guadalupe this year I have come to recognize and appreciate the amount of work that it takes to put such an event together. The level of dedication from the students is a remarkable reflection of the community in which we live in. If it were not for our community this event could never take place. Thanks is owed to so many for their generous contributions.



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