Key Club raising funds for The Eliminate Project through Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF

When I was in high school, I participated in the Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF campaign to collect coins in my little orange box to raise money for UNICEF.  My high school was very community-service oriented, and it was a part of the school’s culture to take up collections for different causes and campaigns throughout the year.  However, I sometimes wondered how many other schools across Massachsuetts and the country had similar scenes.  Were we the only group of kids with change – instead of candy – during the Halloween season?  How many other people were involved? As it turns out, tens of thousands of people are involved, if not more! I am a new staff member at the U.S. Fund for UNICEF and work on The Eliminate Project: maternal and neonatal tetanus.  I am privileged to work closely with Kiwanis International, as they are working every day to raise US$110 million by 2015 to support global elimination of this deadly but easily preventable disease.  Key Club, a service leadership program of Kiwanis International, is the oldest and largest service program for high school students, and gives its members opportunities to provide service, build character and develop leadership skills.  Key Club attributes its success to the fact that it is a student-led organization that teaches leadership through serving others. Since 1994, Key Club has raised more than $5 million for UNICEF. This year, the campaign will support The Eliminate Project. Working at the U.S Fund for UNICEF, I have been simply amazed to see how many members of Key Club are participating in this year’s Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF campaign.  The number of orders for the iconic orange boxes has been staggering.  Tens of thousands of boxes have already been shipped around the country.  Halloween is still two weeks away, and the orders just keep on coming!  From Alaska to Florida, Key Clubs are doing their part to make Halloween about more than ghosts and goblins: they are raising the funds needed to protect millions of women and their future babies. One of the great things about working at the U.S. Fund for UNICEF is that you meet amazing people who bring remarkable skill and passion to helping those most in need around the world.  Key Club members exhibit the dedication and determination necessary to raise the funds that will eliminate maternal and neonatal tetanus.  I am proud to work alongside them.