It wasn’t Mardi Gras in New Orleans or Galveston, but the Masquerade Dance was good enough for about 70 PreK students at the Southwest Campus.
The children had the Mardi Gras-style beads and masks, some brought from home and others courtesy of Varnett staff.
They danced, jumped up and down, sat and mingled as a few parents looked on in the building cafeteria. And it was all for a good cause. The March 7 event wasn’t just about having fun. It was a fundraiser in which the proceeds will be donated to the Texas Southern University’s Department of Education as part of a 5th grade community service project.
Fifth graders from all three campuses will once again give a donation to the historically black college in an event set for March 28 at TSU. While the contribution is under the 5th-grade banner, students from other grades helped out with the raising of money.
Last year, Dr. John Rudley, president of TSU, came to Southwest PreK to accept a donation of $5,000, a 5th grade gesture that demonstrated the students’ commitment to the community. While accepting the check, Dr. Rudley also did some recruiting, urging students to consider TSU when the time comes.
“I can assure you that a young man or a young woman will be able to get a degree because of the contribution you’ve made,” Dr. Rudley said at the time.
Traditionally, Varnett students give donations to TSU every year; before that they raised money for the United Negro College Fund. TSU, located in the heart of Houston, has more than 9,500 students and is one of the nation’s largest Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
Dr. M. Annette Cluff, Varnett’s superintendent, emphasizes the importance of students “giving back” to the community and to get into habit of helping those who are less fortunate than they are.
“I’m proud that our pre-school students are taking part in this worthy cause,” said District PreK director Melissa Cluff. “They also got a taste of what Mardi Gras is all about.”
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