Hanover Park Teacher Rallies Students for Sandy Relief

Editor's note: The following article was written by Mira Wang, a junior at Hanover Park High School.

Throughout December, the Hanover Park Regional High School District will join together to support victims of Hurricane Sandy in devastated towns of New Jersey.

In the week after the hurricane, Hanover Park Italian teacher Christina Schiavello hauled a car-full of non-perishable food, toiletries, and about $400 in gift cards to the Leonia Fire Department in Bergen County. A few days later, U-haul trucks brought the much-needed supplies to families in Brick, whose homes and lives were ravaged by Hurricane Sandy.

“It was for a selfish reason,” Schiavello said laughingly. “We all have ties to people down the shore, and we wanted to recognize the different places that were devastated and help.”

So when she noticed that her town was conducting a drop-off for victims, she immediately brought the cause to Hanover Park, where she knew the students would be willing to give.

The Hanover Park Regional High School District soon forged a connection with Manasquan High School of Monmouth County, yet another area devastated by the storm. Promising aid in whatever way possible, Hanover Park Principal Thomas Callanan enlisted the help of the school’s support system of both clubs and teams.

At the opening of the boys’ and girls’ basketball season on Dec.14, a coalition at Hanover Park and Whippany Park will run a three-point contest to raise money for Manasquan. The varsity girls’ game is at Hanover Park at 7 p.m., while the varsity boys’ game is at Whippany Park at 7 p.m. Students were asked to wear blue and white, Manasquan’s school colors, to the Friday night games to show support for Manasquan.

On Dec. 15 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Hanover Park’s Erase-Racism-And-Sexism-Everywhere (E.R.A.S.E.)/International Club will hold a holiday gift-wrapping fundraiser at Hanover Park to help the cause, a fundraiser they also conducted on Dec. 8.

“We were fortunate enough to sustain minimal damage,” said club president, senior Tiana Victor, “so we wanted to reach out to a school who needed the help.” Hanover Park faculty provided the supplies, and club members and students volunteered their Saturday mornings for gift-wrapping goodwill.

In order to involve the entire student body in this cause, the Hanover Park Character Education Club is sending out pledge cards to encourage every student to donate one dollar. A seemingly insignificant amount on its own, eventually these single digit donations will evolve into hundreds of dollars of relief funds.

Further, the HP Character Education Club is collaborating with the school’s language arts and music departments to put together a kind of “inspirational video.”  According to club advisor, Thomas Gaglione, this will involve a series of “pictures of HP students holding up cards with thoughts of inspiration on large note cards.”

“During this season of giving, the students and staff have dedicated their time, effort and resources to help those displaced families of Manasquan High School continue to recover from the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy,” said Whippany Park principal John Manning. According to Manning, Whippany Park will donate school supplies and a portion of the proceeds from the their winter dance.

“In partnership with our sister school, Hanover Park,” Manning continued, “we hope to collectively ease the burden of financial and emotional hardship for the families directly affected by this powerful, life-changing storm.”

“They lost their homes and their belongings,” Callanan said.  “These kids in Manasquan need a lift.”