Preschool & SEL: Bike-a-thon
On Saturday, April 22nd, 2023 from 11am-1pm, preschool and school entry level parents and children are holding a bike-a-thon fundraiser for Turkey & Syria earthquake relief in the parking lot of Potomac Presbyterian Church (10301 River Rd., Potomac, MD). Preschool and SEL children will ride laps on their bikes, balance bikes, and scooters to raise funds for two different organizations providing emergency relief in the areas of Turkey and Syria hit hardest by the recent earthquakes, World Central Kitchen and Aktion Deutschland Hilft.
Our preschoolers and SEL students are looking forward to Saturday:
Donate here:
Donations can be made online by Sunday, April 30th, either per lap (pledged through a specific preschooler or SEL student) or as a flat amount. Anyone who wishes to may do so at one donate or both of the following links:
http://donate.wck.org/giswbikeathon (for World Central Kitchen)
https://tinyurl.com/bikeathonADH (for Aktion Deutschland Hilft)
These fundraising pages will track how much we have raised as a school for each organization, while each donation will go directly to the organizations that we are supporting.
Donations to World Central Kitchen are U.S. tax deductible and automatically generate a World Central Kitchen donation receipt via e-mail. Donations to Aktion Deutschland Hilft generate an e-mail confirmation of payment, and donors may also opt to receive a tax receipt in the paper mail. (According to the website, these receipts for German taxpayers can also be sent to U.S. addresses.)
Social Hours for GISW students
GISW students: Are you in need of social service hours? We are looking for a couple of upper school students to help out! Duties include welcoming and signing in families as they arrive, helping to keep track of laps (putting numbered stickers on kids as they ride by), and helping to clean up afterwards. Duties would last for roughly 2-3 hours, depending on your availability, starting at 10:45am.
Any interested preschool or SEL families who haven’t yet signed up, as well as any GISW students interested in volunteering, should contact Becky Kilhefner-White at bkilhefner@gmail.com.
Parking
Any member of the GISW community who is interested in coming to watch and cheer on the kids is welcome to do so! Those not bringing small children with bikes or scooters are kindly asked to park next door at Potomac Elementary School – church parking will be reserved for preschool/SEL families whose children are riding in the bike-a-thon. If you would like to attend, or if you have any questions about the event, please also write to bkilhefner@gmail.com, so that we have a sense of how many people to expect.
World Central Kitchen
World Central Kitchen (WCK) responds to natural disasters, man-made crises, and humanitarian emergencies around the world. They refer to themselves as a team of food first responders, mobilizing with the urgency of now to get meals to the people who need them most. Deploying their model of quick action, leveraging local resources, and adapting in real time, they know that a nourishing meal in a time of crisis is so much more than a plate of food—it's hope, it's dignity, and it's a sign that someone cares.
WCK’s Relief Team reached communities near the epicenter in Turkey two days after the earthquakes, the earliest it was safe to do so. Working with local partners, they are supporting families impacted by the crisis and authorities stretched thin due to the scale of the disaster. Despite the complexities of crossing the Syrian border, their Relief Team reached communities in the country just days after the earthquakes. Since then, they have scaled quickly and are distributing more than 500,000 daily meals in impacted communities throughout both countries.
More information may be found here:
https://wck.org (English only)
Aktion Deutschland Hilft
In 2001, Aktion Deutschland Hilft (Germany’s Relief Coalition) was founded by ten renowned relief aid organizations in order to provide fast and effective help in severe catastrophes. Today, their alliance of 23 aid organizations is active in over 100 countries worldwide.
Aktion Deutschland Hilft handles entrusted donations responsibly and transparently. This is confirmed by independent auditors year after year. The alliance bears the DZI Seal-of-Approval by the German Central Institute of Social Issues as well as the certificate of the German Donation Council. Both institutions confirm the transparent and particularly economical use of donations. Aktion Deutschland Hilft is the first and only aid organisation whose website was certified by the German Technical Supervisory Association (TÜV).
More information may be found here: