Students crowded around the Commons on May 6 as ice cream sold out, sunglasses disappeared from tables, and Harvard-Westlake’s community came together to support children in need across the world. Harvard-Westlake students recently came together for a successful fundraiser that supported children in need across the world. The event, titled “Soft Serve & Shades for a Cause,” was organized by HW Bridge to Tomorrow Co-Chairs Katiya Chen ’29 and Trevor Kim ’29 on May 6 at the middle school Commons. The fundraiser sold ice cream and sunglasses to raise money for Owen Renias, an orphanage in Zimbabwe.
The event quickly became popular on campus as students lined up to buy CVT ice cream pouches and sunglasses, including mystery “blind bag” pairs. The fundraiser completely sold out of ice cream and sold a large number of sunglasses. In total, the event raised an impressive $1,433 in net proceeds for the orphanage.
The fundraiser was made possible through teamwork and donations. Organizers were able to receive a donation of 100 pairs of sunglasses, helping the club increase profits for the cause. Friend and volunteer Jenay Han ’29 also helped run the event throughout the day.
HW Bridge to Tomorrow chose to support Owen Renias because many children in Zimbabwe have become orphans after losing their parents to HIV. The orphanage is directed by Renias Mudzimbabwe , who believes that every contribution can make a difference for children in need.
When asked about making a difference, Mudzimbabwe said, “It’s not the amount that matters most – it is the desire to make a contribution towards the welfare of the less privileged that matters. Any contribution makes a difference.”
Chen ’29 shared that the fundraiser showed how powerful a community can be when people come together to support others. “The fundraiser was such a great experience. Seeing our community come together to support a good cause and each other brings hope for a bright future.”
She also explained that organizing the fundraiser helped students recognize how fortunate they are and inspired them to give back. “Our fundraiser was motivated by the desire to give back to those in need. Many children in Zimbabwe became orphans due to their parents being affected by HIV, and setting up the fundraiser taught us about how truly fortunate we are to attend a school like Harvard-Westlake”
Kim described the fundraiser as rewarding and successful because of the strong turnout and campus support. “Overall, the fundraiser was a success. It was really rewarding to see the campus community come together in support of a meaningful cause. We had a great turnout, sold out of ice cream, and sold a large number of sunglasses, which made the event feel both impactful and successful.”
Volunteer Owen Kim ’29 also said the event was exciting and meaningful for everyone involved. “The fundraiser was really popular and the everyone was excited to get glasses and frozen yogurt. I wanted to help the children in Zimbabwe and thought the fundraiser was a great way to do so. Overall, it was very exciting and successful.”
Overall, “Soft Serve & Shades for a Cause” was a major success and demonstrated the positive impact students can make through service and teamwork.
