THE GAWAD KALINGA ZOMBIE RUN
by Alexis Langlois

Alexis Langlois is currently a senior and has been at SAS since kindergarten. Beyond being a part of Gawad Kalinga, she is the captain of the varsity touch rugby team, is a part of the jazz band, EAA help club, and the TEDxYouth@SAS Executive Team. Alexis has been involved with GK since sixth grade and joined the high school club her freshman year. She took up an officer position her sophomore year and is now the president of the club. She enjoys Indian food and singing in the shower.

Photos by Sara Khan.

Their screams could be heard on the other side of the 36-acre campus. Hundreds of students shrieked as they ran, anxious and excited, dodging zombies to keep themselves alive. On October 27, the high school Gawad Kalinga (GK) club held their annual Zombie Run. The Zombie Run is a three-kilometer fun run; participants run through a series of zones where students dressed up as zombies try to take one of their three lives.

The money raised from the Zombie Run goes to the GK Sibol School in Cavite, an SAS sponsored village. The club has an annual commitment to give S$12,000 in order for them to maintain the school and facilities. Gawad Kalinga means “to give care” in Tagalog. Their mission is to end poverty for five million families by 2024. The organization was started to prevent the impoverished youth in the Philippines from spiraling into a life of crime. They strive to create positive communities that support each other and lift one another up during hard times. For us, helping them is so much more than just raising money. Above all, we aim to raise awareness and compassion for the people living in poverty. We seek to build personal relationships with the villagers through our yearly service trip.

The HS GK club is currently one of the largest with approximately 140 members. Maiki Del Rosario founded the club during her senior year at SAS in 2011. We are so fortunate enough to have her back with us as a co-sponsor of the club, alongside Saylar Craig. Both Del Rosario and Craig provide tremendous support to the club—we would not be as successful without their unconditional assistance. 

The SAS community supports the GK club immensely; our fundraising event does not only raise money and awareness, but it has become a community flagship event. Students, teachers, and faculty come ready to run for their lives. With the help of about 150 student volunteers and 30 parent and teacher volunteers, we managed to attract over 600 participants and raise roughly S$19,000, making a profit of S$13,000. The GK club thanks the SAS community for their continued support!


 

  • Gawad Kalinga
  • Zombie Run
  • high school

 

 

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