Student-run fundraisers have always been intriguing, including bake sales, fun activities during lunch, and more. But has there ever been a fundraiser like this?
Switch Day, run by sophomores Abby Rusin (LP ‘26), Maanya Haldwania (LP ‘26), and Tiya Tenneti (LP ‘26) now allows students to pay to ‘switch out’ one of their classes for a day.
What do you need to know about Switch Day?
To be eligible, students must have no more than 4 absences, 2 tardies, and zero major referrals. You also have to be passing all of your classes. Along with this, only 120 students per period are able to buy a pass to switch out one of their classes, meaning it is first come first serve. When buying, students will be given a wristband that indicates they bought a ticket and informs teachers where they are switching to; students may not switch locations after choosing their location. Options to switch out a class include outside on campus if the weather allows it, the auditorium with a movie, or a craft room with different activities available, run by various school clubs.
This fundraiser takes place on Wednesday, April 23 and all proceeds go to CAMFED, a charity that funds education for women in African countries. CAMFED pays for school expenses along with giving financial support to families of female students, and empowers women to fight misogyny. This specific fundraiser is especially important for the sophomores who created Switch Day.
“We as women, are incredibly thankful for all the opportunities we were given and how supported we were throughout our academic career,” Abbu said. “It pains me to think that there are girls out there being told that their only worth is in the kitchen and getting married to a man.” If the realistic financial goal is achieved for Switch Day, 3,614 school days will be supported. Paying to switch out a class doesn’t just benefit yourself, but could help women globally achieve their education goals and break the cycle of poverty.
The students who planned Switch Day are confident they can earn more than the realistic goal. “We purposely set this bar lower than we are expecting, because as the title suggests, this is a realistic goal,” Maanya said. “We definitely think we can raise more than this amount, since this is such a unique opportunity for students.”
The students predicted that even 15% more participation than the realistic goal can gain $1,800 more for CAMFED. If the maximum number of students participate, $9,600 can be raised.
Switch Day, while a fun and simple activity for students, is more than just a fundraiser. Not only student-led, it provides many with opportunities we at Lake Park are lucky to have.
“We want to make a change–we want these women to go to school and have a chance at a better life and more opportunities than they were given,” Abbu said.
