Yilan County high-school students on Sunday raised NT$21,000 in a charity car wash, with the money to go toward shipping schoolbags to children in Kenya.
Students were working hard in the summer heat from 8:30am to 4pm, while motorists — including from several motorcycle clubs — from all over the country donated to the cause.
The project sought to collect second-hand bags from graduating students to give to Kenyan schoolchildren.
It was organized by the National Lanyang Girls’ Senior High School and seven other high schools in the county, organizers said.
Most children in Africa use black plastic bags to carry their books, organizer Yu Ya-chu (游雅筑) said, adding that the event planners felt the overseas students could use recycled bags from graduating students in Taiwan.
Funds collected from the car wash, which finished yesterday, are to be used to cover the substantial shipping costs, Yu said.
The car wash was held at the Lanyang campus, with 32 volunteers from Luodong High School of Commerce supporting the effort, Yu said.
Song Ti-hao (宋狄澔) said his classmates at Luodong High School of Commerce had collected 100 bags, while many students were recruiting members of the public to join the effort.
“A charity drive like this teaches students about their social responsibility and it is going to help as they become adults,” motorcycle club member Lan Li-kai (藍立凱) said.
“Using their abilities to help disadvantaged people is a good learning experience, which is why I found like-minded people to participate,” Lan said.
Lanyang Girls’ Senior High School civics teacher Cheng Chun-chieh (鄭俊傑) said the students washed 66 cars and motorcycles, with drivers from all over Taiwan having their vehicles cleaned.
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