MGA Fundraising - A Small Step Towards the Future

MGA Fundraising - A Small Step Towards the Future

By Kassidy Smith - Castlewood High School

            Model General Assembly is an exciting event that requires some very intense preparation. Although most schools help some when it comes to funding everyone’s grand trip up to the Capitol, most MGA Hi-Y and YMCA clubs undergo several fundraising endeavors. Starting in the fall and working all the way up until the day of, MGA attendees do all that they can to raise enough money to pay a 275 dollar fee per student, as well as funding for food and souvenir shopping. Castlewood High School has hosted numerous fundraising events such as a winter raffle basket and Candy Grams, aka messages to our friends or significant others that come with a candy treat.

Castlewood High School MGA’s main fundraiser, though, is fresh coffee sold to their students daily by members of the club. They also served their coffee for local literary discussions in their area. Along with those events, they also enacted a mock election where they sold coffee while people casted their votes for the local Senate and House.

        All of those coffee sales contributed to their journey to MGA, and many other schools besides Castlewood do their best to raise money so that the future leaders of our Commonwealth have the wonderful opportunity to attend the conference. This is a very special opportunity that requires a lot of hard work prior to even attending. Lee Brown, the advisor for Graham High School in Bluefield, said, “Without fundraising, we wouldn’t be here. I think this is one of the best programs that my school participates in...and it’s one of the best trips my kids go on.” We all take small steps to lead to higher places and raising the money for this special thing is more than just a small step to a higher place, it is a small step towards our future.