By Neval Mulaomerovic
Wildfires across the state have proven devastating to the communities affected, with the Camp Fire effectively destroying Paradise, California. People statewide, including Social Studies Teacher Frank Castro, have stepped up to offer support to help these communities rebuild.
After reading about the destruction of the California wildfires, Castro shared the link to a GoFundMe page for Paradise High School to colleagues and former students. Upon receiving the link, Athletic Director Jeff Lamb emailed it to parents and students of MHS to raise awareness, Castro said.
“I was really bummed that the school was burned down,” Castro said. “I thought about how we would feel here if our school burned down and how horrible [Paradise] feels. I really felt for them and had a lot of empathy for the community, so then I thought it would be nice if I shared it with everybody here and we could support it.”
The GoFundMe page closed after surpassing its $40,000 goal through the donations of 262 people, many of which were from MHS. Students, parents, and teachers mentioned that they were from MHS in their donation to show support, Castro said.
“I wanted them to know that we here at Milpitas were thinking about them, and just that they’re not alone,” he said. “There are people out there with concern and want to help them out as best as they can. I was so happy to hear that so many of us did give money to the fund.”
The Leadership class also acknowledged the devastation of the Paradise Fires, ASB Student Alfa Belen said. Leadership will donate 50% of the earnings from the Winter Wishes Auction to Paradise High School, she said.
“[Student Activities Director Joanna] Butcher first proposed the idea and I agreed and thought that it was a great idea,” Belen said. “Not only should we give back to our community, but also give back to communities in need.”
Winter Wishes is a way for ASB to give back to the staff and students of MHS through granting wishes to those in need during the holiday season. The auction, meant to raise funds for granting these wishes, will also support the Paradise community through buying and donating items to a local charity drive, Belen said.
“We wanted to use our funds to help those who really needed it,” Belen said. “When we heard about the fires, it made us think about not only giving to students at MHS but to students at Paradise High School. The whole purpose of Winter Wishes is to give to the less fortunate. I would say that as a student at MHS, we are more than blessed because we are very privileged to have food, clothes, and a great education. It is a need to give back to those who are less fortunate than us.”
Students can find information on Winter Wishes at tinyurl.com/wwauction1819