Bonneville H.S. student raises more money than NFL team, to donate to the Harlem Jets
One Bonneville High School student used her senior project as a platform to raise thousands of dollars for a non-profit in Harlem, New York. The organization is called Harlem Jets and it helps children in the area who are less fortunate.
“I love serving others. It’s my favorite thing. I just love that rewarding feeling and to be able to feel like I made a difference in the world and in someone else’s life,” said Annie Wright.
She was the biggest donor this past year for the Harlem Jets — donating more money to the non-profit, than the NFL’s New York Jets, by raising more than $11,000 in four months.
“I sent out emails and made flyers and I took them around to businesses and friends and family and just anyone I could think of,” Wright said.
The Harlem Jets is a non-profit after school organization that uses academic enrichment programs. With the help of BYU head football coach Kalani Sitake and his More2Life Foundation, Wright decided to turn her senior project into a service project for the Jets.
“BYU and More2Life, they do football camps with organizations like the Harlem Jets around the country,” Wright said.
Raising as much money as she did, and getting recognition on the non-profit’s Facebook page, she didn’t realize her project would be as big as it was.
“I’m honestly — I’m shocked. I was not expecting it to get as big as it did, but I’m so happy that it did. And I’m so grateful for everyone that donated and was able to help,” Wright said.
Through donations from southeast Idaho communities and her hard work, she raised money more than 2,000 miles away to make a difference in children’s lives.
“I just want to help kids regardless. Anyone in general. It doesn’t matter if they’re from anywhere around the world, I just want to be able to help them. I’m sure there’s people here that have challenges and things that they struggle with, but especially over there in Harlem, there’s lots of youth that struggle with things that I wanted to be able to help them specifically,” Wright said.
Wright will be honored for her donation and hard work in New York in March. Her contribution will go towards equipment like helmets and shoulder pads.
