In its second year of existence, Mountain Ridge’s Social Justice for Youth club raises funds for a different cause and organization each semester. In the first semester of the 2023-2024 school year, the club chose Everytown, an organization that advocates for gun safety. Last year, in its first semester of being, $200 was raised for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women USA, an organization that focuses on protecting native populations that have unprecedented violence upon them. This past semester has doubled the past value for Everytown.
The club has had a booth at the WestWing Mountain Winter Festival in December both years, selling cookies for $2 and taking donations as well. Getting involved in the community is an important aspect of clubs, especially in the case of the Social Justice for Youth club which chooses local charities for the first semester. The second semester changes the type of fundraising. Instead of a bake sale, money was raised at a fundraiser hosted by Cane’s last school year. As well, the cause that is chosen is a national organization, either influencing another country or more widely across the US.
Mountain Ridge has a plethora of clubs that give back to the community and raise funds; in the case of newer clubs like She’s the First, Asian Culture Awareness Association, and Social Justice for Youth Club. These clubs showcase student drive at Mountain Ridge to make a real difference, impacting the community and building a community within the club itself. Clubs are integral to a school and it is important to highlight their successes.
