Students at Bishop Schad Regional School in Vineland show some of the bags of Skittles they collected to donate to Japan. From left are Natalie Bernard, Oluchi Ota, Kirsten Ziglar, Faith Verderose, Chad Catalana, William Santiago, Janice Girone and Samantha Reuss. The students also drew messages and rainbows of hope to send to the people of the earthquake-and-tsunami-ravaged nation.
For the past two weeks, Bishop Schad Regional School students in Vineland have been collecting Skittles to donate to Japan, in an act of friendship and support to help the people of the earthquake-and-tsunami-ravaged country.
Building on the Skittles commercials that tell viewers to “taste the rainbow,” principal Dr. Pat DeMartino said that the drive was to offer a “rainbow of hope” to Japan’s afflicted.
“The pictures out of Japan are dark and gray and full of incomprehensible destruction,” she said. “Perhaps in some small way, Bishop Schad School can offer some children a small piece of hope, along with our prayers.”
Having already collected more than 1,500 bags of Skittles, and drawn messages and rainbows of hope to send to Japan, Bishop Schad School hopes to make contact with an embassy and send the sweet treats to a Japanese school, likely being used as a community shelter.
Local businesses have also offered to chip in to pay for shipping costs.
“We felt (Skittles) were a gift the students could give,” said Dr. DeMartino. “God’s promise is that there always is hope.”
Financial donations, and Skittles, can be dropped off at Bishop Schad Regional School during school hours. For more information, call the school at 856-691-4490.
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