Reprinted from the Pioneer Press Newspaper

February 13, 2003

Residents support sought for drive
By KENNETH L R. PATCHEN
STAFF WRITER

City residents have several opportunities to participate in the Highland Park High School Charity Drive and donate money to the Rory David Deutsch Foundation.

Jewel Food Stores, Sunset Food Mart, Borders, Bloomingdale's, Jamba Juice and Olga's Spa have arranged to donate a percentage of a customer's sale to the drive.

People can attend the basketball game Feb. 28 with Glenbrook North and participate in the silent auction and, new this year, the arts and crafts bazaar.

"(Check) donations are definitely welcome," said Katie A. Hinden, a student co-leader of the event.

People can send checks to Principal Jack Lorenz at Highland Park High School, 433 Vine Ave. 60035. On the memo line, donors can mention Charity Drive.

Shop and share
The shop-and-share concept is a major source of funds for Charity Drive. The percentage contribution from stores is usually between 10 and 20 percent. Hinden said Bloomingdale's contributed about $3,000 last year as a result of shop-and-share day.

Sunset Food Mart will accept shop-and-share coupons every Tuesday and Wednesday in February. Jewel Food Store will accept them Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday during February.

Borders Book Store has designated Feb. 21, 22 and 23 as shop-and-share days. Bloomingdale's will accept coupons March 1 and Olga's Spa and Monday to Saturday will participate the first full week of March.

Jamba Juice at Renaissance Place hosted its shop-and-share day Tuesday.

Silent auction
"The silent auction is when family and parents get involved," said Matt Feinstein, charity drive student co-leader. "This is where parents get a chance to see what this is about. The businesses are very supportive. We raise a lot of funding from (the silent auction)."

"We majorly depend on parents to come and spend freely," said Hinden.

Parents can watch the basketball game, bid on practical and extravagant merchandise and make purchases at the bazaar of homemade arts and crafts. Auction items can be anything, such as tickets to events in Chicago or sports memorabilia.

On Feb. 26, parents can send their children to school for a first pancake breakfast from 7:30 to 9 a.m. in the cafeteria. A student's donation helps Charity Drive and yields a plate of pancakes.

Charity Drive is a major event sponsored by the student senate.

"I love it," said Hinden. "It's the most rewarding thing I've done in high school and it's made my high school experience more rewarding and fun. The atmosphere of the school is different. It's a month that unites the school."

"It's good to see the kids unite over this. At Highland Park High School, we have such a diversity of interests," Feinstein said. "Inspiring people to become charitable is an important part. It's probably the most rewarding, having so many people come together, who want to be part of this."

Charity Drive funds will be donated to the Rory David Deutsch Foundation which helps medical research at Children's Memorial Hospital and Duke University. Rory Deutsch, 7, attended Indian Trail Elementary School until he died from a brain tumor in 1998.

"Almost everybody loves the month of Charity Drive," Feinstein said. "It puts a lot of our day-to-day issues in perspective."