Dexter High School's ONE.org club hosts fundraiser for United Nations Foundation
From left: Samantha Griffith, Jessica Davis, Laurence Carolin and Ali Bowman. Samantha and Ali co-established Dexter High School's ONE.org club in honor of Laurence.
Photo courtesy of Lisa Carolin
That’s what friends and family of Laurence Carolin want to help remind people of with a fundraiser in honor of Laurence’s life and his goal to fight extreme poverty and preventable disease in Africa.
Dexter High School seniors Ali Bowman and Samantha Griffith invite the public to Airplane Day 2012 on Saturday to help Dexter High School’s ONE.org club collect donations for the United Nations Foundation.
Laurence, who was 15 years old when he died of a malignant brain tumor in 2010, spent the last years of his life trying to help fight poverty and the spread of disease in Africa. Laurence was an advocate of ONE.org, and even donated money he received from the Make-A-Wish Foundation to the organization.
“Ali and I were inspired by Laurence and how dedicated he was to his cause,” said Samantha Griffith, who grew up with Laurence. “He said everyone should have a cause they should be passionate about.”
Bono signs a playlist for Laurence Carolin before a concert in Chicago.
Photo courtesy of Lisa Carolin
Dexter High’s ONE.org club was started by Ali and Samantha in the fall of 2011 and had more than 100 students sign up initially. Samantha said more 30 members attend the weekly meetings.
“We want to help educate the high school students to think globally and not have their heads stuck in Dexter,” Samantha said. “We want to help start a generation of global thinkers. So far it's been going very well.”
The fundraiser will be held at Foggy Bottom Coffee House, located at 7065 Dexter-Ann Arbor Road, from 6 to 10 p.m. The event is free with an optional donation to the United Nations Foundation and will feature live music and guest speakers.
Airplane Day was what Laurence’s family called the celebration of his arrival from South Korea to live with his adopted family in Dexter. AnnArbor.com freelancer Lisa Carolin is Laurence’s adoptive mother.
“I can only imagine Laurence would have been pleased,” Carolin said. “It’s gratifying, especially since these two young ladies were his closest friends.”
Foggy Bottom Coffee House map location:
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Contact reporter Danny Shaw at 734-623-2544 or dannyshaw@annarbor.com.
Comments
Trumpet
Tue, Jan 31, 2012 : 2:36 p.m.
Bravo to Samantha and Ali for continuing to honor Laurence by drawing attention to a cause he championed. Here are a group of teens doing something to make a positive difference in this all too negative world, and I too applaud them. And as for the comments...why do people have such a need to be so negative and truly nasty when it comes to something like this?I guess I just don't get it. Why waste the time or effort, when you could be using the time it takes to make a negative comment to do something to make a change for the betterment of human kind. It is no wonder that often teens do not want to listen to "adults". Congratulations to Dexter Teens who are working on this project. I am proud of you!
G. Orwell
Mon, Jan 30, 2012 : 10:53 p.m.
Bono's, The One, was started in 2004 and it raised $15 million in 2008 alone. Where is all the money? What has The One accomplished? Have they done anything except pay themselves millions of dollars. I hate to see the average person be manipulated by these elitists in order for them to line their pockets. It's just like the Queen of England trying to use the Poverty Fund to heat her castle. Just because the media does not tell you exactly how Bono enriched himself, it does not mean he did not. Again, where is all the money? <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/queen-tried-to-use-state-poverty-fund-to-heat-buckingham-palace-2088179.html" rel='nofollow'>http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/queen-tried-to-use-state-poverty-fund-to-heat-buckingham-palace-2088179.html</a> Or, Al Gore pushing man-made global warming in order to pass carbon taxes to tax us for breathing (we exhale CO2). All scams just like Bernie Madoff.
G. Orwell
Tue, Jan 31, 2012 : 1:49 a.m.
I apologize if I am mistaken. I am trying to point out that much of what you hear about monies given to third world nations for "charity" have stings attached and much of the money is siphoned off. Look at Haiti. Hundreds of millions given to Haiti for earthquake relief. Yet, everyone still lives in tents in squalor and UN is being accused of purposely spreading cholera by the Haitian people. Most likely true. Google it. People need to look closely at who they are supporting and donating to. Bono and UN are not friends of humanity. I guess the "ONE Campaign" means givng 1% to charity and rest for salaries. $15 plus million to support a bunch of lobbyists??? Bono is also being accused of fraud with the Global Fund. Google it. Support your local food banks and donate during holidays so families can buy gifts for their children. Far more effective. Rather than enriching lavish aid or charity organizations so their executives can fly around in private Lear jets.
Steph Parrish
Mon, Jan 30, 2012 : 11:46 p.m.
@G. Orwell - your comments are truly ignorant and unwarranted. First of all, "The One" isn't even an existing organization. It is called the ONE Campaign. I recommend first getting that part down before attacking an organization that has done an incredible amount of good. As stated by Ivor, ONE has never claimed to be a charity. The slogan is "we're not asking for your money, we're asking for your voice." All money that comes in to the organization come from merchandise sales and large private donations. This money, as it is CLEARLY stated in the organization's mission, goes to fund advocacy campaigns. At the end of the day, what you may consider good aid and money going directly to "the poor" actually does a lot more harm than good. When charities show up in a developing country and give handouts, it only leads to dependency and unsustainable programs. ONE works with the US government on a large scale, to ensure that the millions and millions of dollars in multilateral funding going to developing countries support smart, efficient and effective programs. Furthermore, the students at DHS that started the ONE Campaign club have never claimed to raise money for ONE. This event is planned to honor a remarkable young man that believed in the same cause you believe in. Through his legacy, they aim to raise awareness about the serious issues of extreme poverty and preventable disease. Donations are accepted but not encouraged and will all go to the United Nations Foundation, NOT the ONE Campaign, to fund these exact programs that ONE advocates for. The purpose of this event and of ONE is to empower average Americans to use their voice to make a difference. Sure, everyone wants to throw a dollar at the Red Cross after a natural disaster, but ONE shows people that consistent small and simple actions can make a long-term, massive difference in the lives of many. Cheers to Ali and Samantha for putting this together- an incredible undertaking for t
say it plain
Mon, Jan 30, 2012 : 8:38 p.m.
@G. Orwell, your own link tells a different story from you. It tells of how One.org is *not* a charity organization, but an advocacy organization...there is nothing there about Bono 'pocketing' any of the funds or diverting them to 'other' projects at all. The piece does try to make a pseudo-scandal out of how the money doesn't actually go to aid on the ground, but instead to pay for advocacy work...but still... It might be difficult to conceptualize how monies collected by a not-for-profit organization might work toward lobbying the governments of wealthy nations to consider the developing and impoverished ones (instead of the more typical role NGOs play in providing aid directly), but that is really not an excuse for claiming that it's a 'money-making fraud' and your own link shows that...
FreedomSpeech
Mon, Jan 30, 2012 : 6:20 p.m.
Look at those beautiful smiling faces. The propaganda these wonderful children have been fed is appauling. <a href="http://www.infowars.com/print/misc/un_child_slaves.htm" rel='nofollow'>http://www.infowars.com/print/misc/un_child_slaves.htm</a> <a href="http://www.infowars.com/un-conference-calls-for-worldwide-genocide-against-poor-infowars-nightly-news/" rel='nofollow'>http://www.infowars.com/un-conference-calls-for-worldwide-genocide-against-poor-infowars-nightly-news/</a>
jj45678
Mon, Jan 30, 2012 : 9:59 p.m.
Interesting how that consipracy nut can't provide any credible links - only "infowars".
Ivor Ivorsen
Mon, Jan 30, 2012 : 9:15 p.m.
Do I have to buy the approved Alex Jones tin foil hat? Or can I just fashion my own?
FreedomSpeech
Mon, Jan 30, 2012 : 8:27 p.m.
1. Ivor is correct... Black Helicopters don't exist and the Official conspiracy of 9/11 is true Just ignore the evidence and building 7 but what the hey... 2. Alex Jones is not a anti-semite and assertion and smear is just ridiculous and the ADL is smearing him for good reason. Fact is all the facts in the links I provided are backed up and for the most part it had nothing to do with anything Alex Jones said but the facts are their. You see attacking the messenger is a tried and true ploy. Here are examples of the truth about the ADL and smear enthusiasts like Ivor: <a href="http://www.infowars.com/new-york-times-parrots-debunked-poplawski-smear/" rel='nofollow'>http://www.infowars.com/new-york-times-parrots-debunked-poplawski-smear/</a> <a href="http://www.infowars.com/splc-report-heavy-on-smear-thin-on-facts/" rel='nofollow'>http://www.infowars.com/splc-report-heavy-on-smear-thin-on-facts/</a> <a href="http://www.infowars.com/the-adls-three-extremist-conspiracy-theories-in-context-and-with-evidence/" rel='nofollow'>http://www.infowars.com/the-adls-three-extremist-conspiracy-theories-in-context-and-with-evidence/</a> Better yet Alex will take your call Ivor On Air and you can debate your accusations... Never the less the UN is a proven criminal Org and that is a fact.
Ivor Ivorsen
Mon, Jan 30, 2012 : 8:09 p.m.
Just say "U.N." and the Black Helicopter folks come running. Please consider the source referenced above, one Alex Jones of the infamous "infowars" web sites. Alex is an unabashed 9/11 conspiracy enthusiast (it was an "inside" job) and full-time Israel basher and anti-Semite. But why take my word for it? The Anti-Defamation League (links below) has some great stuff on the guy... 1. <a href="http://www.adl.org/learn/ext_us/E-Michael-Jones/default.asp?LEARN_Cat=Extremism&LEARN_SubCat=Extremism_in_America&xpicked=2&item=EMJones" rel='nofollow'>http://www.adl.org/learn/ext_us/E-Michael-Jones/default.asp?LEARN_Cat=Extremism&LEARN_SubCat=Extremism_in_America&xpicked=2&item=EMJones</a> 2. <a href="http://www.adl.org/special_reports/rage-grows-in-America/alex-jones.asp" rel='nofollow'>http://www.adl.org/special_reports/rage-grows-in-America/alex-jones.asp</a> 3. <a href="http://www.adl.org/main_Anti_Semitism_International/blood_libel_algeria.htm" rel='nofollow'>http://www.adl.org/main_Anti_Semitism_International/blood_libel_algeria.htm</a>
G. Orwell
Mon, Jan 30, 2012 : 6:16 p.m.
People need to research Bono's One.org. He only gave 1% of donations to cherish and pocketed the rest or diverted it to his pet projects. He does not care about the poor in Africa. It is a money making fraud. Just like most of the well known cherities. <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1314543/Bonos-ONE-foundation-giving-tiny-percentage-funds-charity.html" rel='nofollow'>http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1314543/Bonos-ONE-foundation-giving-tiny-percentage-funds-charity.html</a> I applaud the children for the kind hearted goals but you should help people locally and confirm the money and resources are going directly to those you want to help.
Ivor Ivorsen
Mon, Jan 30, 2012 : 8:24 p.m.
Mr. Orwell, Your post does a great disservice to the good students of Dexter High School. One.org is NOT a charity, and it has never claimed to be one. According to the "What We Do" section of One.org website, the organization, "achieves change through advocacy. We hold world leaders to account for the commitments they've made to fight extreme poverty, and we campaign for better development policies, more effective aid and trade reform. " Got that? Advocacy, not charity. "Facts are stubborn things" --John Adams, 1770 We also support greater democracy, accountability and transparency to ensure policies to beat poverty are implemented effectively."
G. Orwell
Mon, Jan 30, 2012 : 7:31 p.m.
Sorry for the typo. I meant to type cherity rather than cherish. My IPhone auto correct jumped the gun.