By Brian Zanzonico
In the two weeks since H. Frank Carey High School teacher Bart Badalucco started the Orange-Aid fund-raising campaign for the poverty-ridden East Texas community, more than $5,200 has been raised to buy school uniforms and supplies for Orange students, Wal-Mart cards for families and Home Depot cards to help two churches rebuild.
"The response has been overwhelming," Badalucco said. "The [Carey] kids have stepped up, and our neighbors have stepped up."
They've apparently followed Badalucco's lead. The technology/business/driver ed. teacher oversaw an American Red Cross Disaster Relief feeding operation that prepared and served 14,000 meals a day to relief workers and residents of Orange who remained in their homes during and after Hurricane Rita. He soon found that the residents needed more than disaster relief. About 20.5 percent of the families in Orange, which has a population of 19,000, live in poverty. School children are in need of supplies and school uniforms. Poor churches sustained damage from the storm that they cannot afford to fix. After meeting with Orange school administrators and clergy, Badalucco returned to New York with the hope of raising money for the town.
After he huddled with the presidents of Carey's school clubs and every class government, Orange-Aid - named not only for the town, but for one of the school colors - started to come together. Cheerleaders donated a basket of school supplies, and the PTA raised money at Bingo Night. For $1, donors can write their names on a slip of paper declaring, "I Squeezed Out a Buck for Orange-Aid," and have it displayed outside the main office. For $2, donors receive an orange band bearing the message "Live Kind," similar to the yellow "Live Strong" bands made famous by Tour de France champion and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong. A $20 donation is earmarked for a Wal-Mart or Home Depot gift card.
Since then, the Carey student government has raised $1,873, various clubs have donated $1,500, "I Squeezed Out a Buck for Orange-Aid" has raised $700, Future Business Leaders of America has raised $500, more than $400 was collected for Home Depot and Wal-Mart cards, and CJ Wellington's of Franklin Square raised $250 at a fund-raiser brunch.
Each student government officer is also donating new clothing, and in addition:
n The Class of 2006 made a $100 donation.
n The Class of 2007 is donating half the profits of Junior-Senior Challenge Night.
n The Class of 2010 is selling orange cotton candy.
n United Students for Information And Research is selling Orange Kisses Candy-Grams.
n The Fashion Club has collected and donated clothing.
n The varsity cheerleaders have donated school supplies.
n The Washington St. PTA parents played a fund-raising volleyball match against the teachers. Admission to the game was a new toy or item of clothing.
n The Future Business Leaders of America are conducting a Toy Drive.
n The Dads' Club has offered logistical help regarding the packaging and trucking of goods to Texas.
n Carey's PTSA purchased several hundred dollars' worth of gift cards.
n The Carey staff continues to purchase gift cards.
Franklin Square civic and fraternal organizations, houses of worship and local businesses have also gotten involved. An iPod Nano, one of the hottest mp3 players on the market, was anonymously donated by a member of the Franklin Square Chamber of Commerce to be raffled.
Anyone interested in donating to Orange-Aid can contact Badalucco at (516) 539-9412. Those interested in helping the churches of Orange, or a Texas veterinarian assisting in the relief effort for domestic pets, can reach Badalucco on his cell phone at (516) 318-3281.
"Imagine no Little League coaches, no PTSA or Dads' Club, no American Red Cross or Habitat for Humanity, no student government, no Rotary Club or Boy Scouts," Badalucco said. "Seventh grade or 70 years, continue to volunteer."
Comments about this story? Fseditor@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 240.
