Shorewood student club meets fundraising goal to build a school in Kenya

With umbrellas made to look like jellyfish, Karla Johnson, left,
and Cynthia Knox dance their way onto Shoreline Stadium's field
Photo by Alan Berner / The Seattle Times

They didn't break the Guiness record, but they met their fundraising goal, so Shorewood students in the Schools for Kenya Club couldn't be happier.

Club member Majesta Spady said, "Now we will be able to donate a total of $9800, well over our target of $8500."

The Schools for Kenya club at Shorewood is "paying it forward" to show its appreciation for the new Shorecrest and Shorewood high schools that are being built in Shoreline by building a school for children in rural Kenya through the organization Free the Children.

The students had raised $6000 toward their goal of $8500 and decided to make their final fund-raiser a big one. With the approval of the Guiness organization, the students attempted to break the record for the most number of people holding up umbrellas to form a mosaic elephant.

They didn't break the record, but 700 people with umbrellas showed up at the Shoreline Stadium on Friday, June 1, each donating $5 for the school fund.

"It was so much fun," said Cynthia Knox of Shoreline. "We already had our jellyfish umbrellas for the Fremont Solstice Parade, and figured that Umbrellephant was a good way to try them out."