Local Students Win Dollars for Darfur Fundraising Campaign

On Monday, I congratulated two students from Washington Middle School in Ridgewood for their efforts in helping to raise $8,543 for persecuted citizens in Darfur. Justin Halle and Abby Abric, two class officers at Washington Middle, recently won a trip to Washington, D.C., where they visited my office.

The Save Darfur Coalition sponsored the Dollars for Darfur National School Challenge and Washington Middle placed in the top ten out of the more than 400 schools that competed. Students at the school earned money by hosting a dance and raised awareness through a poster campaign on campus.

I am proud of these young students and their dedication to alleviating the suffering in Darfur. Their imaginative fundraising and awareness campaign has drawn attention to the needs of millions of Sudanese citizens. I have worked to support and protect the victims in Darfur and I am honored that schools like Washington Middle have joined me in continuing to fight for an end to the atrocities and violence.