Youths donate weekend to tsunami victims

By KIMBERLY M. WEYANDT

BEACH LAKE, PA – Not many teenagers would volunteer to spend their Saturday at church, but members of the Beach Lake United Methodist Church youth group are not just any teenagers. In light of the tsunami that hit Southeast Asia on December 26 and the devastation it continues to cause, the youth group decided that giving up a Saturday was not such a big deal.

“I saw this thing on TV about all the people,” said Casey Troop.

“There was this little boy who was looking for his family and I thought to myself, ‘we need to help these people’,” she said.

After talking to youth group leader Maggie Haase, Troop pitched her idea at a youth group meeting.

“They all liked the idea,” Troop said. “We wanted to have a bake sale because that way people get something for their money.”

The group got to work calling local businesses, including Woodloch Pines, Dunkin Donuts, Weis Markets, Beach Lake Bread and the Beach Lake Café, to ask for donations. They were surprised by the huge response they received.

“It’s really nice when people hear about what we’re doing and just bring donations,” said Troop.

“One lady who doesn’t even come to our church saw our sign and just dropped off some baked goods,” said Jessica Weyandt.

The youth group members spent the night before toiling away in the kitchen and doing some baking of their own. The bake sale began at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday and lasted through the afternoon. On Sunday the group continued their sale until the last item was sold.

The group, made up of Casey Troop, Forrest Mohn, Hailey Mohn, Jessica Weyandt, Stacy Drongosky, Carmen Francesco, Samantha Fremulth and Jennifer Fremulth, raised over $600 for tsunami victims. They plan to add a donation of their own before mailing it off to the United Methodist Community Relief organization, which will distribute the funds where they are most needed.