Dear Editor,

I would like to call attention to Powhatan High School’s Invisible Children Organization’s success.

We not only met our goal of 10,000 books, but actually collected close to 13,000 books. The sale of these books will raise money for schools for children in war torn Northern Uganda. We could not have accomplished such a feat without a lot of help of which we are eternally grateful for. Jennifer Burks, Brooks Smith, and many other teachers at our school were absolutely awesome. Mrs. Smith let us keep over a hundred boxes of books in her classroom, and Miss Burks devoted her time, money, and expertise tirelessly. She believed in us when everyone laughed at our lofty goal.

Another huge thanks to each of the Powhatan County Schools, BSH, Midlothian Book Exchange, CVB, Tim and Lisa Benusa, and Stanley Britt for helping us promote our drive and of course, Dr. Meara for allowing us to begin this community service project in the first place.  We could not have accomplished our goal without Shade and Wise, the new brick company located near the high school. There, Mike Ryan, Mark McCoy, and Damon Grey helped us so much by palletizing and loading our books, free of charge. They were a dream come true and did such an amazing job.

All in all, it was a team effort – so many people contributed and their time and effort will really make a change for the Invisible Children of Northern Uganda.  It is comforting to know that even in tough times, the people of Powhatan County understand the value of helping others.  We are proud to be a part of such a community.

Krystina Bustos
Powhatan High School

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