Students pitch in for disaster relief

Even though they are half a world away, students at the Viewpoint School in Calabasas are providing hands-on assistance to survivors of Myanmar’s devastating cyclone, assembling more than 250 water purification kits that were dispatched to the country last week.

The mayor of Calabasas, members of the Calabasas Rotary Club and students from Calabasas High School joined about 15 Viewpoint students in an assembly line set up over three laboratories on the upper school campus.

Even Viewpoint’s head of school rolled up his sleeves to help.

"Viewpoint was thrilled to have our students in the upper school join with our neighbors from Calabasas High School in an effort that will have a significant impact on villages halfway around the world," said Robert J. Dworkoski.

Water pasteurization indicators are four-inch plastic tubes containing wax particles that melt when submerged in cooking water that has reached 149 degrees F (65 degrees C), a temperature that eliminates microbes carrying E. coli, rotaviruses, giardia and hepatitis C virus.

The Red Cross estimates that the cyclone has affected more than more than 2.4 million people, many of whom still lack shelter, food, clean water and protection against disease.

The kits were shipped by the Calabasas Rotary to Krit Garnjana-Goonchorn, Thailand’s ambassador to the U.S. in Washington. He will deliver the kits to Princess Maha Chakri-Sirindhorn, executive vice president of the Thai Red Cross Society, who will take them into Myanmar, school officials said.

-- Carla Rivera

Comments

[Lauren Ann]

Dear Ms. Rivera,

Thank you for your article on students pitching in. It is nice to hear something positive about today's students for a change. Most of what we read about our youth of today represents them in a negative fashion. I hope other educators will follow the examples of these schools and get students actively involved in projects that provide a service to those in need. Surely the students of Viewpoint and Calabasas have learned a life long lesson from particiapting in this disaster relief experience. I hope you will continue to search for more motivational stories concerning young americans.