Japan Finds A Source of Support At The Reed School

By Eliza Hallabeck

While preparing for school one morning following the March 11, 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami that left more than 28,000 people dead or missing in Japan, Reed Intermediate School student Jack Bittman watched news reports.

“I saw pictures flying on the news,” said Jack, “and I was just shocked that there were buildings down and a lot of people were in shelters without homes to go to. From Haiti, I knew there was help, no matter how big the disaster was. I knew I just wanted to help.”

After asking his mother, Lillian Bittman, for a container, Jack said he went to school and asked his teacher, Karen King, if he could start a fundraiser. He filed the proper paperwork with the school’s office, and soon, “the school just got involved.”

Posters decorated by Jack and his friends now hang around the school asking students to donate to relief efforts in Japan. From Jack’s class alone, he said he has raised $95 as of Friday afternoon, March 25, but he is keeping his eyes focused on his goal: $3,000.

If every student at Reed donates $4, Jack said, he can give $3,600 to the International Red Cross.

“Even China, which is Japan’s archrival, is helping them,” Jack said. “So I think everyone should help them. No matter how much you think there is no hope or if there is a lot of hope, you should help.”

Jack said he had a lot of help creating the posters, from friends and fellow students. His older brother, Danni,  also helped by designing a logo for the effort. The logo reads, “Help Heal Japan.”

Money raised through the Reed effort, Jack said, will be donated to the International Red Cross, because, “they will use the money for shelters, food, water, and the vaccine that helps with the radiation.”

Jack said this is his first time raising money for a cause.

“This is a pretty awesome effort for his first time doing this,” said Reed Principal Sharon Epple.

Community members are also welcome to donate to Jack’s cause. Dr Epple said anyone interested can drop off a donation at the school’s office. The official end of the fundraiser is Friday, April 1, at the school, but Jack said he will extend the deadline for community members to continue to add to the amount for an extra week. Anyone interested in learning more about the effort to raise funds for Japan can contact Dr Epple or Ms King by email at Epples@newtown.k12.ct.us or Kingk@newtown.k12.ct.us.

“We are so incredibly proud of Jack’s initiative, leadership, organizational skills, care for others, and compassion,” said Dr Epple. “He’s an absolute role model for every one of us in this building.”

Ms King noted that when the disaster happened a lot of people talked about doing something, and Jack actually did.

“It’s easy to talk, and it is a lot more complicated when you want to take the work on yourself,” said Ms King. “He was ready, willing, and able to do whatever it took. And he didn’t back down.”

Jack said he had special thanks for his fellow Reed students who helped him make posters: Peter Fagerholm, Thomas Jensen, McKinley Seaver, Rhett Saunders, EJ Santayana, Grace Sholtes, and Ben Davis.