1. 0
I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
One-page description of the project
II. INTRODUCTION
A. Historic background of the selected community service or charity
B. Description of the local DECA chapter, school, and community
III. CONTRIBUTIONS TO A NEEDED COMMUNITY SERVICE OR CHARITY
A. Description and purpose of the project
B. Rationale for selecting the community service or charitable project
C. Description of the benefits of the project to the chapter and chapter members’
understanding of leadership development, social intelligence, and community service
IV. ORGANIZATION AND IMPLEMENTATION
A. Organizational chart, member involvement, and job description
B. Description of the project and documentation
C. Impact goal for the beneficiary
V. EVALUATION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
A. Evaluation of the project
B. Impact of the community service or charitable project
C. Recommendation(s) for future projects
VI. BIBLIOGRAPHY
VII. APPENDIX
2. 1
The DECA chapter at Cherry Creek High School teamed with the Muscular Dystrophy Association
(MDA) this past year in an effort to provide a source of support both financially and through awareness.
The DECA chapter at Cherry Creek has had a long-standing relationship with MDA that begins annually at
the summer camp in Colorado. Several students from the DECA chapter volunteered this previous summer
and were left motivated and inspired by this life altering experience. Between the zip-line, the pool, the
smiles, and laughs, ten Cherry Creek DECA students were able to witness children with neuromuscular
diseases develop independence and create memories that will last a lifetime. This weeklong experience
was the inspiration for our community service project and provided motivation for our entire DECA chapter
to become leaders and volunteers within our school and community. Chapter members participated in
activities throughout the year that varied from sponsored dinners to bowling nights to comedy shows,
however the organization and implementation of these activities was fulfilled by Alysee Kimura, Alex Haar,
and Eric Malamud.
Several goals were established at the beginning of the
project in order to maximize the financial gains and cognizance
that the project could have.
These goals were then used as guidelines to our
organization of activities throughout the year. We were able to
coordinate over 10 different activities to support this remarkable
organization. The activities that took place are listed below.
In the end this project benefited more than
just the patients and families of the Muscular
Dystrophy Association, it inspired a whole
chapter of almost three hundred students to
participate in a wide variety of activities that
aided others. The collaboration with MDA has
cultivated strong relationships and taught us the
power of community service. Through this project, $4,635.81 was raised and our chapter committed over
2,447 hours to our cause. However, the numbers cannot be compared to the unforgettable moments that
have changed our own lives as well as the lives of countless others. The joyful smiles, loud laughter, and
shining hope that we have seen have driven us to create a lasting impact in the world.
We were hesitant to send our 7-year-old son to his first weeklong MDA camp, but everyone at
camp from the MDA staff, to the doctors/nurses and all the counselors reassured us R.J. would be very well
taken care of. We were happy to learn that every camper had his own counselorfor the entire week. We
were not disappointed — camp was truly an amazing experience for our son. Most importantly,he began to
establish friendshipswith kids just like him. Thank you, MDA
— Parents of 7-year-old R.J., first-time camper
3. 2
A. Historic Background of the selected community service or charity
The Muscular Dystrophy Association was founded in June of 1950 by a
group of parents with children affected by Muscular Dystrophy. These
parents realized that there was no established organization promoting and
supporting the research of neuromuscular diseases. They strived to create
an organization that would help find cures and support for families fighting a
similar battle. The Muscular Dystrophy Association supports more neuromuscular research than any other
private organization in the world. Additionally MDA provides services, clinics, health education, summer
camps, and activities throughout the year to children and families affected by MD.
Muscular Dystrophy (MD) is a group of genetic diseases characterized by weakness in the
skeletal and or voluntary muscles. The muscle fibers become more susceptible to damage and
progressively weaken. This results in an inability to control movement. Most cases of MD are diagnosed
during infancy or childhood. Overtime, people with MD become unable to do simple tasks such as walking
or sitting up. The major forms of MD are Duchenne, Becker, Emery-Dreifuss, Limb-Girdle, and Myotonic
MD but there are currently over 43 types overall. Duchene is the most common type of MD; it is seen in
boys from ages 3-5. Some of these children are not diagnosed until their teens when they are still able to
walk. Astonishingly, 1 out of every 3,500 to 5,000 boys is born with MD.
MDA is Nationally Headquartered in Tucson Arizona; however most states have an office and
representatives working to fulfill the goals of MDA. Due to the fact that MDA is a non-profit voluntary
health agency, they receive the necessary funding from donations. Impressively, MDA receives no
government funding and does not charge any of the families for the available services. Every minute MDA
spends $74 in its worldwide research program in an attempt to find a cure (MDA 2012 Fact Sheet).
One very impactful experience for children with muscular dystrophy is MDA summer camp. The
camp was founded in 1955 and today there are almost 80 camps available throughout the world. For one
week, children affected by MD get to experience summer camp and participate in common camp activities
including swimming, arts and crafts, bonfires, horseback riding, and much more.
4. 3
Annually the Cherry Creek DECA chapter participates in MDA sponsored events as well as
hosting many of our own. All of the money raised goes directly towards supporting families affected by
MD within our community.
B. Description of the Local DECA
Chapter, School, and Community
COMMUNITY
Greenwood Village, Colorado was founded on
September 8, 1950 and began as farmland with gravel roads. The city had a population of 500 residents,
mostly pioneers, who came from the east and mid-west during the 1860’s in search for gold. During the
1930’s and 1940’s, the area consisted of farmers, suburbanites, and people from Denver who would live
in Greenwood Village over the summer in their “country homes.” Today, the urban city has a population
of 14,454 and is still growing. Greenwood Village is 8.21 square miles and is conveniently located within
the Denver Tech Center, which contains more than 325 businesses. The median resident age is 42
years old and the average household income $109,845. The population
is predominantly Caucasian with 90% of the population, 5% is Asian or
Pacific Islander, 2% is African American, 2% are of mixed races, and 1%
other.
SCHOOL
Cherry Creek High School is a public school with a total enrollment of
3,476 students in grades 9 through 12. The staff of 292 consists of 221
certified teachers, 10 guidance counselors, and 5 deans. The school
was founded in 1955 and has 4 buildings spanning over 80
acres. Cherry Creek High has received an excellent rating from the
Colorado School Accountability report, a Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education, and 7
PRIDE awards, highest ever awarded, from the North Central Association.
Greenwood Village Skyline
5. 4
CHAPTER
The Cherry Creek High School DECA
chapter was founded in 1960 and started off
with one class. In the 2013 to 2014 school year
there are 250 juniors and seniors engaged in
marketing and entrepreneurship. Creek DECA’s
goal is to teach practical real world skills that will
one day lead to the students becoming business
leaders.
The DECA chapter is one of Cherry Creek’s most successful and competitive clubs. The club
offers the opens the door to various opportunities for students to learn skills that can be used into college
and adult life. For example, the DECA chapter runs the school cafeteria or “Creek Cafe”. The cafe
employs two part-time adult managers as well as three paid student managers. Sales often exceed
$500,000 annually. The cafeteria requires all senior members to two shifts weekly during an off period.
This is an excellent way for students to gain real world work experience and learn to understand
business.
From a widespread support from the community, including parents, businesspersons, and DECA
alumni our chapter has been increasingly successful. This success allows for us to involve ourselves with
different charitable organizations and take positive action within the community.
A. Description and Purpose of the Project
As the Muscular Dystrophy Associations coordinators, we created three goals, which were used to
amplify the financial gains of our project and enhance its reach.
The community service goals that we set out to achieve were:
Raise enough money to send three children to summer camp
Educate Cherry Creek High School and the community about Muscular Dystrophy
2013-2014 Cherry Creek DECA Chapter
6. 5
Enhance the outreach of the DECA chapter pertaining to community service
Provide a source of support for Muscular Dystrophy families and the Muscular Dystrophy
Association
The reasons for and implementations of the established goals are as follows:
Raise enough money to send three children to summer camp
The focal point of our project is to make a positive and influential difference within our community. After
the three of us volunteered at MDA camp this past summer we gained a lifelong connection with not only
our campers and camp community but also a responsibility to supporting the Muscular Dystrophy
Associations cause. Seeing how significant the camp experience is to the life of each camper motivated us
to raise enough money to send at least three children to camp. We feel as though, with our given resources
this is an attainable yet significant number.
Life at camp is worry free, and each camper has the opportunity to grow with some of his or her
best friends. Each previous camper looks forward to the week of camp throughout the year and seeing this
joy has motivated us to be able to send more children than ever this year. Many of the activities we planned
throughout the year attempted to show similar feelings of joy that can be experienced at summer camp.
The best wayto find yourself is to loseyourself in the serviceof others”
-Mahatma Ghandi
Educate Cherry Creek High School and the community about Muscular Dystrophy
This goal is important to us because we realized that our community has limited knowledge about
Muscular Dystrophy. Attending MDA camp helped open our eyes to how many families within our
community are affected. Additionally, we had the opportunity to learn about the advancements that MDA is
making towards supporting and curing the disease. Several of the activities that we organized throughout
the year were made to teach fellow DECA students about MD and the value of the Muscular Dystrophy
Association.
7. 6
“I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates
the soul of the giver.”- Maya Angelou
Enhance the outreach of the DECA chapter pertaining to community service
Every year our DECA chapter strives to overjoy the Muscular Dystrophy Association with a source
of fiscal and emotional support. Seeing a child's smile as they travel down the zip line or rejoice as Santa
hands them a gift at the Holiday Party made us want to maximize what we could do with the project. We
wanted to provide a substantial impact on our fellow students and community by giving them the opportunity
to help the lives of those in need around them. We attempted to spread our projects influence throughout
a broad spectrum of areas to make this substantial impact. From social media, to school wide nights out,
to sponsored lunch and dinner events the project was able to influence a great portion of our community.
Provide a source of support for Muscular Dystrophy families and the Muscular Dystrophy
Association
Muscular Dystrophy has an extensive effect on not only the person who has the disease but the family as
a whole. Working with the campers showed us how tiring a full day can be for the child and those looking
after the camper. In an attempt to assist whole families that have been affected by Muscular Dystrophy, our
project has strived to provide a source of support. This was done not only financially, but also through
emotional support in times of greatest need.
B. Rationale for Selecting the Community Service
To fulfill the Cherry Creek DECA chapter MDA Project, we worked with the Muscular Dystrophy
Association for various reasons that can be found listed below:
Make a difference within the community
To Support MDA’s cause
Offer an opportunity and encourage the community to get involved in community service
To continue the long standing relationship
Cherry Creek DECA has been working along with MDA since 1991. This partnership has worked to meet
the needs of the families who are affected by muscle disease, while using community service as a tool to
learn and grow within the community. Because of this long-standing relationship we felt that it was
8. 7
imperative to continue in our effort to support MDA. The MDA chapter located in Denver relies on the
Creek DECA Chapter to provide support annually in some of its largest events. One of the biggest events
that Creek DECA members have been involved in is MDA Summer Camp. Annually students from Creek
DECA volunteer as counselors and have the chance to see how camp inspires and provides hope for
these children. For us, camp became much more than a volunteer opportunity. For most of the children
that attend camp this week is their time to shine and just be a kid. From the moment that the families
drove in honking their horns with excitement to open camp to the melancholy goodbye, camp was an
unforgettable experience. What we saw during the week at camp has driven us throughout our project.
Seeing the effects that this organization has on the lives of families affected by MD showed us that
alongside MDA we could also make a lasting impact. It was important to us to reflect on our experiences
with MD families at Summer Camp and motivate our chapter and community to join in the organizations
cause.
C. Description of the benefits of the project to the chapter and chapter members’ understanding
of leadership development, social intelligence, and community service.
Throughout the development of our project we have seen numerous positive effects within our DECA
chapter and the community as a whole. The three of us, along with our DECA chapter were able to
develop instrumental leadership skills, social intelligence, and a deeper understanding of the value of
community service. Descriptions of how each of these three categories were attained can be found
below:
Leadership Development
Peter Drucker famously stated that leadership “is doing the right things." Great leaders possess dazzling
social intelligence, a zest for change, and above all, vision that allows them to set their sights on the
"things" that truly merit attention. To accomplish our goals by creating engaging events and fueling the
engagement of our DECA chapter leadership was vital. During the course of our project we set out to
fulfill our established goals. To do this we first had to instill our vision and passion for community service
within our fellow chapter members. This was initially a difficult task because a majority of the chapter
members were unaware of the severe effects of MD or the goals of MDA. It was important to initially
inform the chapter members of the difficulties that children and families face with MD, along with the
9. 8
profound affect MDA consistently has in the MD community. Once the students were informed, it was
easy to enlist their participation in fundraising activities. During the process of our project we learned that
it was crucial to demonstrate a first-class style of leadership and to encourage others to do the same.
To properly inform the 240-person chapter at Cherry Creek High School we each took responsibility for a
separate social media site. Alysse oversaw and organized the twitter account. By following the CCHS
MDA Project Twitter account students could find valuable information about muscular dystrophy and
upcoming fundraising events. Alex took charge of the CCHS Instagram account where chapter members
could find videos and pictures of themselves having a blast at recent events. Eric managed the CCHS
DECA MDA Project Facebook page. People who liked the Facebook page were able to find numerous
resources about Muscular Dystrophy and this year’s project. A fact of the week was posted to educate
chapter member about the disease itself. In addition, constant reminders about events such as dinners at
local pizza parlors and specially planned nights at the local Comedy Works were posted.
From our weeklong experience at camp we wanted to relay what we had learned and felt to our fellow
chapter members. Since the beginning of our project we have done this by expanding our leadership
abilities during weekly meetings, event scheduling, and contacting local businesses to host fundraisers.
We learned that working efficiently as one team would make our greatest impact. The dedication
necessary to create a successful project morphed us into strong leaders because we refused to stop until
we had reached the set goals.
Seeing our determination and passion for this project led chapter members to participate in as many
events as possible and develop their own leadership skills. Each chapter member had the ability to
benefit from participating in our project by gaining their own leadership skills and growing as an individual.
We were all participating in something that truly merits attention.
Social Intelligence
Social intelligence is the mental ability to understand the motives, emotions, intentions and actions of
other people and to motivate and influence the behavior of (groups of) people. While keeping this
definition in mind a central focus of our project was to improve the social intelligence of our DECA chapter
specifically regarding MDA. Through this year’s events, chapter member have had the opportunity to
learn about the lives of people who are faced with much different hardships. Due to this difference in
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lifestyle many of our chapter members were unaware of the impact that Muscular Dystrophy can have.
Once we were able to adequately educate our chapter about the goals of MDA and the disease itself we
were able to use them as resources to inform the community. Although raising funds is one of our four
goals, educating the community could be even more valuable. An informed community can create a long
lasting impact. We were able to successfully transmit our goals and emotions from Summer Camp and
influence the behaviors of not only our chapter members but also the surrounding community. This was
done by effectively managing social media sites, and engaging the people in social activities and events.
Community Service
Community service can be referred to as a “service that a person performs for the benefit of his or her
local community”. Throughout the completion of this project we along with our community learned the
importance of helping others. Before starting our project we did not understand how much of an impact a
strong dedication to community service, but now we understand its full value.
During the year we held several events that were geared towards the involvement of the entire Cherry
Creek DECA chapter. It was inspirational and moving to see the amount of students who were willing to
support this cause. Students were immediately rewarded for their participation through the satisfaction of
knowing that they were truly making a difference.
Instead of focusing on a certain dollar amount our project was geared towards making a lasting impact in
the lives of other people. We were able to be a part of something that was much bigger than the individual
and gave to the less. We believe that events like the Taste of Cherry Creek and MDA Bowling Night will
impact the lives of students both immediately and in the following years.
We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we
give.”-Winston Chruchfield
11. 10
After brainstorming and deciding upon the activities we wanted to initiate and our goals for our project
we set up a plan to ensure success. To be able to take full of advantage of the project we needed to
divide responsibilities amongst each other. With the use of communication and dedication to excellence
we were able to produce events that engaged chapter members and fulfilled our set goals.
The following charts display the organization of how tasks were divided between Alysse, Alex, and
Eric:
A. Organizational chart, member involvement, and job description
Alex
-Summer Camp
Volunteer
-Contacted
Fiocchi’s Pizza
-Delivered Turkeys
to Classrooms
-Organized Illegal
Pete’s Fundraiser
-Designed and
produced
Instagram page
-Contacted Matt
Iseman and
Comedy Works
-Wrote article in
DECA digest
Eric
-Summer Camp
Volunteer
-Contacted Subway
sandwiches
-Sold tickets &
attended booth at
Taste of Cherry
Creek
-Designed Outline
for Stuff the Turkey
-Organized
Peppino’s
Fundraiser
-Designed and
produced Facebook
page
-Wrote article in
DECA digest
Alysse
-Summer Camp
Volunteer
-Contacted Crave it
yogurt
-Sold tickets &
attended booth at
Taste of Cherry
Creek
-Designed & Made
Turkeys & Counted
Money
-Planned MDA
Bowling Night
-Designed and
produced Twitter
page
-Wrote article in
DECA digest
12. 11
B. Description of the project and documentation
The following is a calendar of every event held from March 2013 to January 2014:
March 11- Mr. Creek
We gathered 10 willing male
participants and wrote out an outline
of what “Mr. Creek” should look
like. We worked closely with the
assistant principal to approve the
outline and set the event date. We wrote up a script for each skit which included
facts about MDA. We had several dress rehearsals and advertised by selling
tickets, flyers, and social media. We had to speak with the school’s event
coordinator to fix a date in which the auditorium would be available. Tickets were
sold for $5 pre-sale and for $6 at the door as well as additional donations.
27- MDA Madness
Teams of 3 participated in a “NCAA” like
basketball tournament in the two gymnasiums
located at Cherry Creek High School. The
tournament was structured using a bracket and
each team had a ten dollar entry fee.
April 25-MDA camp directors Emily and Courtney come to Cherry Creek to collect
prospective camp counselors’ paperwork. The two speak about how important
this camp is to children with MDA because it allows them to attend a summer
camp designed especially for them. Also, students learn how much of an impact
summer camp makes in the lives of campers as well as volunteers.
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May 9-MDA Summer camp directors return to Cherry Creek High School to interview
possible camp counselors.
Selected Camp Counselors attend a full day of training prior to attending camp.
June MDA Summer Camp Training
A couple weeks prior to attending camp, counselors attended a mandatory
training that takes place over 6 hours. Counselors learned how to transfer
children with muscular dystrophy and how to tend to their needs.
9-13 MDA Summer Camp
16-20
10 selected camp
volunteers from Cherry
Creek High School
attended MDA Summer
Camp and were
responsible for one camper for 24 hours over a period of 5 days. Volunteers
helped their campers maneuver around the camp, eat, use the restroom, and
prepare for bed. The campers were kept very busy whether it be horseback
riding, camping, crafting, swimming, zip-lining, and numerous other camp
activities.
October 18 - Taste of Cherry Creek
Three community vendors; Fiocchi’s Pizza,
Crave It frozen yogurt, and Subway sandwiches
sponsored our event. We communicated with the
managers and owners of each business who were all willing to give us a
discounted rate so we could raise money for MDA as well as produce a profit for
each business. Each vendor was charged $50 for a table rental. The vendors
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then sold their food for one to three tickets. Cherry Creek DECA members sold
tickets for $1. The event took place before one Cherry Creek’s most anticipated
home football games so it attracted not only chapter members, but parents, and
faculty as well. The event was advertised on the school’s daily announcements,
posters throughout the school, and our established social media sites. The
posters that were hung throughout the school were also delivered to the
participating vendors and were displayed to encourage customers and
community members to attend the event. A booth was set up adjacent to the
vendors where Alysse and Eric answered questions regarding MDA.
19, 20, 14- “Stuff the Turkey” Fundraiser
Three days before
Thanksgiving break, we started a
fundraising competition to see
which class could “stuff the
turkey” or in layman’s terms
which class could raise the most
money. We had to make an
outline and present our ideas on how we would organize this fundraiser to the
three DECA teachers in our chapter. Also, we had to make sure the money was
locked and put away properly every day after school. At the beginning of class,
we would notify each class of the current standings and the turkey would be
passed around to allow students in each DECA class to donate money. The
winning class was rewarded with a doughnut party.
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November 26- MDA Bowling Night
We started Thanksgiving Break off by
hosting MDA Bowling night. We asked for
each student to pay $10 for two games and
shoes. We received 20% of the money we
brought into Arapahoe Bowling Lanes. Prior
to this night, we had to contact the manager of the bowling alley to see if he
would be willing to make a deal with us and support MDA.
December 4- Illegal Pete’sdinner fundraiser
We contacted the manager of Illegal
Pete’s to see if he would help us in
fundraising for MDA. Illegal Pete’s
agreed to host a fundraising event from
11am-4:30pm. 20% of the proceeds were
donated to MDA.
3-7-Gift Collection for MDA Holiday Party
89 snowflakes are hung up on the boards in the DECA classrooms for
students to pick up and donate a gift that costs up to $10. We worked with the
organizer of the MDA holiday party to make snowflakes which provided the
gender and the age of a child with muscular dystrophy so students could give an
age appropriate gift.
9, 10, 11, 12, 13 - Peppino’s Pizza dinner fundraiser
Peppinos is a small, family-owned, local business located in Englewood,
Colorado. It is a popular location for students to eat. After speaking to the
Peppino’s owner we decided to provide students with coupons to leave with the
restaurant employees. Throughout the week Peppino’s hosted fundraising
dinners from 4pm-8pm.15% of the proceeds were given to MDA.
16. 15
14 - MDA Holiday Party
We delivered the collected gifts to MDA staff to hand out to the children with
muscular dystrophy at the holiday party. Our DECA chapter was able to provide
enough gifts to ensure that each child was given a holiday present from MDA.
January 8- Matt Iseman performs at Comedy Works as a fundraiser for MDA
Matt Iseman is a successful Cherry Creek
High School graduate and is now a stand-up
comedian as well as the announcer for the
television show American Ninja Warrior. We
wanted something different and followed our
main goal which is to “make a difference.”
What better way than to make hundreds of
people laugh and smile? With great
deliberation and effort, we contacted Matt to
find out if he was going to be in Denver,
Colorado anytime soon. Luckily this date worked perfectly because Comedy
Works, one of the top 5 comedy clubs in the nation is located just down the street
from our highs school, was available. Comedy Works is usually a place where
only adults, 21 years old and up, can attend. We worked closely with the
manager and owner of Comedy Works to allow all ages to attend this family-
oriented performance. Matt Iseman agreed with the deal and willingly donated
all of his profits that night to MDA. Lucy’s, the restaurant at Comedy Works also
agreed to give 20% of its profit that night to MDA.
“This country will not be a good place for any of us to live in unless we make it a
good place for all of us to live in.”
-Theodore Roosevelt
17. 16
Event Amount Raised
MDA Madness $162.25
Mr. Creek $2129.48
Taste of Cherry Creek + Mr.Silva’s Tickets $175.95 + $81.00
“Stuff the Turkey” $305.54
MDA Bowling Night $396.00
Illegal Pete’s $376.24
Peppino’s Week $100.00
Matt Iseman $909.35
Total $4,446.46
Event Volunteers/
Participants
Hours
MDA Madness 30 80 hours
Mr. Creek 13 30 hours + 60 hours (10 hours per
contestant)
Taste of Cherry Creek 15 45 hours
Stuff the Turkey 3 3 hours
MDA Bowling Night 103 309 hours
Dinner Fundraisers (Illegal Pete’s &
Peppino’s Pizza)
50 60 hours
Collecting Gifts for MDA Holiday Party 89 284 hours
18. 17
Matt Iseman Comedy Works 72 216 hours
MDA Summer Camp training 10 60 hours
MDA summer camp 10 1,300 hours
Total 2,447 hours
C. Impact goal for the beneficiary
Through the hours donated, money raised, and the awareness created we hope we have greatly
affected the MDA family and made an impact in the campers lives that we will be able to send to camp.
We donated 2,447 total hours and raised a total of $4,446.46 for MDA. Through this we achieved and
even surpassed our four goals. The cost of sending a camper to MDA Summer Camp is around $800.
When we started the project we set a goal to double the amount of kids sent last year. With the help of
our chapter and community we were able to double that as well as continue to create awareness and gain
support for MDA.
With the money we fundraised throughout the year we more than doubled our original goal of sending 3
kids to camp. We can send almost 8 kids to MDA Summer Camp in June of 2014.
-Raise enough money to send 3 children to summer camp
-Educate Cherry Creek High School chapter pertaining to community service
-Enhance the outreach to more people in the surrounding community
-Provide a source of support for Muscular Dystrophy families and MDA
All the student from the Cherry Creek DECA Chapter were greatly affected by the life changing
experience. We were able to see kids that spend most of their days inside, instead spend their days with
other kids struggling with the same issues being able to do things they couldn’t do in everyday life. By the
end of the week we all knew our campers well and were a second family for them. Because of the
lessons and experience we got from camp we were able to go above and beyond and MDA turned from a
19. 18
project into a passion. The beneficiary was aided not only by the money donated but the hours put into it
by the chapter and the community. We could not be more grateful for the time and effort that our peers
and our chapter put into making and surpassing our goals a reality.
At first, we didn’t know how much of an effect we had on our community and chapter but it became
evident when people started asking how they could help and asking us about MDA. Social media and the
classroom were the main outlets we used to gain awareness and support for MDA.
In the end, we could not have done it without the support of our chapter, advisors, businesses, and
people that helped reach and exceed our goals. We decided to continue the tradition and write thank you
letters to everyone that helped as well as the families and kids that inspired us. Below is a list of people
we sent letters to show how grateful we are for them.
-DECA Advisor- Jim Konrad
-Cherry Creek High School Principal, Ryan
Silva
-Colorado MDA coordinator, Emily Lyneis
-Comedian Matt Iseman
-Arapahoe Bowling Lanes
-Slices Pizza Parlor, Jane Kranic and family
-Yogurtini, Traci Henry
-Subway
-Peppinos
-Crave it
-Fiocchi’s
-Illegal Pete’s
-MDA families
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Event What was raised
1. Mr. Creek
2.MDA Madness
3.Summer Camp
4.Taste of Cherry Creek
5. “Stuff the turkey”
6. Mr. Silvas parking spot
7. Bowling night
8. Holiday gift drive
9. Peppinos dinner
10. Illegal Pete’s lunch
11. Holiday Party
12. Comedy night
1. $2129.48
2. $162.25
3. Support
4. $175.95
5. $305.54
6. $81.00
7. $396.00
8. Support and awareness
9. $100.00
10. $376.24
11. Support
12. $909.35
A. Evaluation of the project
After spending months dedicating hundreds of hours to the events we planned, it has
been both rewarding and heartwarming to see the impact that we have been able to have within
the community. In September of our senior year we dedicated ourselves to this project, with the
goal of participating in National DECA conference in Atlanta this coming April. However, the
project has helped us grow and mature with each community service event. We still hope to
make it to Atlanta, but in our eyes we have already won first place.
The three of us will continue our involvement with MDA, even after our time in DECA is
over. Full filling this project has made us feel a sense of pride that is immeasurable.
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Activity Strengths Possible Improvements Goal(s) Met
MDA Madness -gave students the opportunity
to have fun while funding a
good cause
-only members of DECA
were given the opportunity
to play
-spread throughout school
-raised money
-spread
awareness
-enhanced
outreach
Mr. Creek -gave students the opportunity
to be involved and see satirical
skits of fellow classmates
-we only had a week to
plan and rehearse due to
the popular demand for the
auditorium
-raised money
-spread
awareness
-enhanced
outreach
MDA Summer
Camp Interviews
-gave students the opportunity
to volunteer to become camp
counselors
-gave members the chance to
interview in a professional
setting
-encourage more males to
be involved
-spread
awareness
-enhanced
outreach
MDA Summer
Camp
-counselors experienced the
day-to-day life of children with
muscular dystrophy
-Life changing experience
-personally connected with
people and families with
muscular dystrophy
-better prepare counselors
for handling children with
muscular dystrophy
-spread
awareness
-enhanced
outreach
-provided support
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Taste of Cherry
Creek
-maintained strong relationship
with vendors
-involved and supported the
school and community
-difficulties due to weather
-involve more vendors
-involve community more
-raised money
-spread
awareness
-enhanced
outreach
Mr. Silva’s
Parking Spot
-encouraged involvement with
an appealing prize
-rose awareness school wide
-small target marker due to
juniors and seniors
because of driving
privileges
-raised money
-spread
awareness
-enhanced
outreach
“Stuff the Turkey” -gave the students a chance to
give back
-start earlier so there is
more time to plan and
-raised money
-spread
awareness
MDA Bowling
Night
-gave the students a chance to
have fun while donating to a
good cause
-invite the school and
community
-raised money
-spread
awareness
Illegal Pete’s &
Peppino’s
Fundraisers
-created and maintained
business partnerships for future
projects
-strengthened community
involvement
-ask more local and family
owned businesses in the
community to be involved
-raised money
-spread
awareness
-enhanced
outreach
MDA Gift
Donations
-gave students the opportunity
to give back
-more people wanted to
donate gifts
-raised money
-spread
awareness
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-worked closely with MDA
office and team
-communicate with other
MDA offices to donate
more gifts
-enhanced
outreach
-provided support
Matt Iseman at
Comedy Works
-gave the chapter, school, and
community a
-not schedule it on the
same night as another
school event
-involve community
-raised money
-spread
awareness
-enhanced
outreach
B. Impact of the community service or charitable project
Due to the fact that MDA is a national voluntary health agency, it relies on the fundraising
and donations of private companies and individuals. All of the money that we raised was
presented to Emily Lyneis and Courtney McEleney, the MDA summer camp coordinators. The
money raised will go towards sponsoring over 8 kids to the same summer camp that we have all
earned an adoration for. Campers always say that the week at camp is, “the best week of the
year.” Our work this year has been to better MDA and work alongside them to lessen the worry of
families affected by MD. Since its conception MDA has built lifelong friendships between youth
with neuromuscular diseases by offering an extraordinary week at MDA summer camp. The MDA
motto states, “help, hope, and knowledge.” every activity we have performed has kept in mind the
value of benefiting MDA. Our project alone raised over, $4,446.46 but we feel as though the time
spent by chapter members has been much more valuable. Our entire chapter was able to take
time out of their schedule to help our cause. Their efforts were seen through the various amounts
of hours they dedicated to the events we hosted. From helping sell tickets at The Taste of Cherry
Creek, attending fundraising dinners, or coming out to see Matt Iseman everyone did it with a
similar passion that we have for MDA.
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The awareness created in the school will spread throughout the entire community
impacting many to help and support MDA. When we decided to take one this year’s community
service project we wanted to improve the lives of others, but we were unaware that we would be
the ones that benefited most from the experience.
“When you are able to shift your inner awareness to how you can serve others, and
when you make this the central focus of your life, you will then be in a position to
know true miracles in your progress toward prosperity.”
― Wayne W. Dyer
Final Evaluation:
At the beginning of our project we established goals that we hoped to attain. Here is a check list
for our goals and whether we have accomplished them
1) Raise enough money to send three children to summer camp
2) Educate Cherry Creek High School and the community about Muscular Dystrophy
3) Enhance the outreach of the DECA chapter pertaining to community service
4) Provide a source of support for Muscular Dystrophy families and the Muscular Dystrophy
Association
C. Recommendation(s) for future projects
Although we are very proud of the impact we have made in our chapter, school, community,
and the personal lives of those with MDA, we have taken extensive notes on areas of
improvement for future projects. We hope future members of our chapter who take on this event
will use these tips to make a larger, more impactful events to support MDA.
- Contact more local businesses to participate in Taste of Cherry Creek
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- Implement new, original fundraisers such as a movie night or a night at the circus as well
as include people and families with muscular dystrophy
- Spend more days fundraising
- Open more events up to the school and community
By making a few basic alterations to this project, it could become a more community involved
project which would benefit MDA greatly. By supporting our community more and opening events
put on by the Cherry Creek DECA chapter, we could reach a greater audience further
accomplishing our goals as stated above. In the future, we hope to aim for higher goals as well
as get more people involved in order to create a positive, family-like atmosphere as we become a
more active force and supporter for MDA.
Our most important piece of advice we have to offer for future groups is to implement each and
every event with those affected by muscular dystrophy in mind. We would love to see future
groups involving children and peers with muscular dystrophy so the chapter and community can
personally provide support for them. These children have deeply impacted the way we perceive
everyday life and have touched each of us greatly.
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Community Sponsors:
Crave It
Illegal Pets
Subway
Peppinos
Fiocchis
Comedy Works
Slices Pizza
Arapahoe Bowling Lanes
Primary Organization Contacts:
MDA
Emily Lynes
Courtney McEleney
Websites for Organizations Involved:
http://mda.org/publications/mda-summer-camp
http://mda.org/about/telethon-history
http://www.city-data.com/city/Greenwood-Village-Colorado.html
http://www.greenwoodvillage.com/
