Kettering Fairmont USB raises big bucks for charities

United Student Body (USB) raised $90,200 for four charities.

Contact this contributing writer at PamDillon@woh.rr.com.

For Kettering Fairmont United Student Body (USB), a Spirit Chain is like good deeds for great causes, with individual students, faculty and community members getting caught up in the excitement.

This past year alone, USB raised $90,200 for four charities: Kettering Backpack Program, Kettering Supplies, BOGG (Because of God’s Grace) and William Wynn’s Liters of Learning.

These charities received checks at the end of November.

“We sold spirit shirts. Members designed a Fairmont logo T-shirt and sold that. We had a garage sale. We do all sorts of things,” said Fairmont senior Noah Kihn, who’s planning on attending Sinclair Community College after graduation and major in graphic design. “I feel great about it. I love that we can raise so much money and give it to people who need it.”

Bonnie Pittl, interim executive director of the Kettering Backpack Program, said her charity received a substantial sum in 2015 and 2016 from the Spirit Chain.

The Spirit Chain began as a friendly rivalry between Kettering Fairmont and Centerville High Schools. They’ve been competing for charity since 1983; the two schools have raised nearly 2 million dollars for worthwhile charities. During football season, a symbolic chain is stretched across the field, half in blue and silver (for Fairmont), and half in black and gold (Centerville).

“The Spirit Chain has been instrumental in allowing us to feed at-risk students in Kettering on the weekends. It allowed us to feed students for six weeks in 2015, and six weeks again in 2016,” said Pittl. “Our program empowers Kettering school-age children to overcome obstacles caused by poverty.”

She recited some sobering statistics: 42 percent of school-age children in Kettering qualify for the free/reduced lunch program, 600 students receive bags of nutritional food to sustain them over the weekends, and 16 elementary/middle schools are being served. These students get fruit cups, prepared pudding, vegetables, cereal, applesauce, microwavable ravioli/mac & cheese and fruit juice.

BOGG founders Jason Barton and Jason Johnston saw a great need for food assistance in the Dayton area in 2010. Their ministry currently provides food to over 1,500 people a month. They partner with the Dayton Foodbank, and base their operations at SouthBrook Christian Church in Miamisburg.

“Students made the second largest donation BOGG has ever received,” said Johnston. “It’s inspiring to us to see students make such a large impact on Dayton.”

Kettering Supplies donates household products and toiletries for underserved students.

William Wynn’s Liters of Learning builds schools in Guatemala.

In 2015, Kettering USB raised $83,000, split between the following charities: Kettering Veterans and Inventor Campaign, Kettering Clean Care, Be Free Dayton and the Kettering Backpack Program.

The Kettering Veterans and Inventor Campaign is one of two major fundraising efforts by the Kettering Parks Foundation. It is a memorial celebrating veterans in all military branches of service and Dayton inventors at Delco Park.

“We were … honored to have been chosen by the Fairmont High School Spirit Chain as one of their 2015 gift recipients,” state administrators on the Kettering Parks Foundation website.

Kettering Clean Care provides approximately 100 students with personal hygiene items.

Be Free Dayton spreads awareness about human trafficking.

“The students select the charities. The USB was created by Roger Bauser 30 years ago, and is led by 10 seniors who have been leaders in their class councils,” said Corey Miller, a Kettering Fairmont alumna who is in her fourth year as activities coordinator. “The students, staff and community are really great and are so generous.”

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