A student studies in the library wearing a white mask that was donated by Cranberry School District. (By Ava Fischer/Student contributor)
By ADYSSON CARTER
Student contributor
The start of the 2020 school year was definitely a peculiar one for the students at Cranberry High School. Due to COVID-19, everyone is required to wear a mask to school to avoid the spreading of the sickness.
Generous individuals decided to donate a total of 2,035 masks to CHS.
Masks were donated by club Ignite, the high school’s Fellowship of Christian Student group, for each student. (By Ava Fischer/Student contributor)
The high school’s own Ignite Club, wanting to serve the school and community, donated 535 black masks. This was enough for each student to have one mask, ultimately contributing to the safety and well-being of every student in the school.
Ignite’s summer mission team made a collaborative effort to come up with the idea even going as far as to design the entire thing, put a message behind the masks, and sanitarily packaging it themselves for distribution.
Funds were gained through fundraisers, a sponsorship from Richar Shields & Co. Pc, and letting the staff buy them for $11 a mask (one purchase bought a mask for the staff member and one for the student).
Each mask, symbolized by the three dots, holds the meaning that “Cranberry continues no matter what.” They plan to fundraise by selling candles to gather money to buy masks for the elementary school. Currently, Ignite is close to their goal.
These black masks had great feedback from both the students and staff, saying they were super comfortable and convenient.
Sophomore Ashton Weaver said, “It was a good act. I like that they thought of the safety of the students at Cranberry.”
Cranberry Area School District also donated about 1,500 white masks so each student could have two of them.
The funds came from a grant titled “COVID-19 School Health and Safety Grants” administered by Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency. Cranberry puts forth everything they can to make the students comfortable and feel safe.
The nurse has extras in her office just in case a student’s becomes dirty.
Chasity Carter commented on CHS’s value of student well-being: “It’s cool, definitely good that they put so much effort in to make us safe and protected especially with everything going on.” She also stated that the mask was super comfortable.
The kind-spirited people of Cranberry made students’ first day back to school a little better and easier. Donating to those apprehensive of the upcoming school year what they need to be safe was a kind act that did not go unnoticed by the students at CHS.
Adysson Carter and Ava Fischer are students at Cranberry High School and members of Cranberry Chronicles, the school’s journalism/publications class.
