For the organization’s first fundraiser, co-founders Shweta Raman and Pooja Yerneni and their team helped gather over 1000+ books and boardgames to sell at the Town Center Gazebo located in Robbinsville.
By: Amrutha Selvaraja
Robbinsville, NJ - August 8th, 2020
Over 100 families attended Interconnectd’s Books and Board games Fundraiser on August 8th, 2020 to support the American Childhood Cancer Organization, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of children living with childhood cancer or its long-term impacts as well as offering support and assistance to families across the nation.
Pooja and Shweta chose to do a books and board games sale when they got the idea from their families game nights and finding new books to read. The pandemic brought their families together and during these weekly game nights they found that they were exhausting the games they had. They wanted to find some new games and new books due to their local library being closed. They thought that many other families may have this problem thus resulting in them wanting to create this fundraiser.
Interconnectd was amazed at the support they got from families in Robbinsville. Many people came and dropped of boxes of books with almost a hundred books each. One lady had given us almost 50 board games, which we were ecstatic about. Our largest donation came from a man who gave us 500 books, all in perfect condition.
The day promised to have something for everyone, as well as provide a wonderful opportunity for families to buy books and board games nearby their location. All members were following social distancing policies, and masks and gloves were permitted while entering the area. At the same time, they were donating their money towards an important cause and supporting children with cancer. The added bonus is the chance to spend some quality time with families and take some time off of technology and social media.
With the exceptional turnout and immense donations, Interconnected was able to raise $952 to donate to the American Childhood Cancer Organization. The remainder of the books and board games were donated towards CHOP and Capital Health. Interconnectd would also like to specially thank Mr. Schuberth, the rec department, the purchasers, and all of the restaurants that helped make the fundraiser successful! In a statement to News12 of New Jersey, representative of ACCO, Jamie Ennis Bloyd was immensely thankful: "Especially in these unprecedented times, we are so grateful to have Shweta Raman and Pooja Yerneni and the Interconnectd organization's donation to ACCO."
ABOUT THE AMERICAN CHILDHOOD CANCER ORGANIZATION
For the past 50 years, the ACCO has prioritized childhood cancer by shaping policy, supporting research, raising awareness, and providing educational resources and programs to kids with cancer, survivors, and their families. It was founded in 1970 by parents of children and adolescents diagnosed with cancer. This organization is willing to offer free resources to help families every step of the way, while also doing intensive research to discover the deep nuances of childhood cancer. With the uncertainty that COVID-19 brings to all families across the country, ACCO is also continuing to provide programs while working to help children and families while in quarantine. For more information, visit https://www.acco.org/
Pooja & Shweta donating books to Capital Health
Morning shift with Councilman Dan Schuberth at the fundraiser
