Editor’s Note: Callan Quiram is a seventh grader at Sunset Middle School.

By Callan Quiram 

When I first heard about what had happened to the World Trade Center towers, I felt completely and totally helpless. It was just such a horrible deed, and I could not even begin to think about what the event would drive our nation into doing. All I could think about was helping. 

At first there was nothing that I could think of to do except pray for all the wounded and injured. Then an idea formed in my head. I was sitting at my desk, feeling a little lost and confused, and then I saw a purse sitting on my desk, with a bunch of spare change around it. I looked from the purse to the change, and then I filled the purse up with change, and put a Post-it note on it that said, "Keep the Peace". 

My idea was to fill the purse with change and then send it to help. My parents were the first donators to this newly created fund, and they were the ones who suggested I send it to the American Red Cross. I then brought the fund to school, hoping that my friends could spare some change to put in it. That’s how it all started.

When I got to school, my friends were very supportive of the idea, donating money to it and telling me that it was a good idea, and that I should make it bigger than just the school. Pretty soon, it was. My friend Tommy Benning was able to help by getting me a spot for a booth at Niwot Nostalgia days, and it was there that we raised pretty much all of our money. 

So far we have over $1,700 raised, and it was pretty much all from Nostalgia Days. I cannot thank my friends Kelly Strong, Katelyn Negrelli, Alex Forke and everyone who contributed, plus my family, enough for helping with this effort. It is just so great that we are working together to raise money to donate to the Red Cross. Now we are even working on expanding into other schools. I hope that it will help a lot.

Photo by Mary Wolbach Lopert

Thanks to the efforts of Callan Quiram and her friends, the American Red Cross will have an extra $1,700 for the relief effort. Pictured are (l to r) Lauren Quiram, Sara Lubeck, Roy Dicharry, Kelly Strong, Callan Quiram, Tommy Benning and Alex Forke.