Echoes Foundation

ECHOES Call to Care Luncheon 2009*

On June 11th, 2009 ECHOES sounded the call to Shelter our Sisters, the large number of girls who wish to attend Centenary High School in Masaka, Uganda. Long school days and dangerous late-night travel force many Ugandan parents to choose between their daughters’ schooling and their safety – an impossible choice.

The event:  ECHOES Around the World’s Call to Care Luncheon “Sheltering our Sisters” at the Radnor Hunt Club on June 11, 2009.

The cause: To raise $35,000 to build a dormitory for 200 girls at ECHOES’ partner high school in Uganda. With so many of Uganda’s children orphaned by disease and poverty, the student population at Centenary High School has exploded from 20 to more than 850 students in just 10 years. While Centenary’s boys have a dorm, the girls do not, effectively depriving many “sisters” of an education and a chance at a brighter future.

The fun:  Guests were handed shopping bags and invited to browse among 11 unique boutiques. A portion of the sales and a “gimme shelter” raffle of two girls’ getaways at vacation homes went to the dormitory fund.

The day’s honoree: Singer/songwriter, humanitarian and Flyers’ chanteuse Lauren Hart. After a visit to Uganda, Lauren and her husband Todd Carmichael became champions of ECHOES’ partner schools and medical center. Fox 29 news anchor Dawn Stensland, a close friend of Lauren’s, emceed the festivities.

The special guest: Sarah Serunjogi, a teacher and co-founder of the three Ugandan schools supported by ECHOES, brought greetings and words of appreciation from Africa.

The charity:  ECHOES Around the World Foundation is based in Devon, Pennsylvania.  For more information visit www.echoesfoundation.org.

*This story was first published in Main Line Suburban Life, June 17, 2009.  Photos by Maggie Henry Corcoran.