Coronavirus Update: High School Students 'Stringing Together Ridgewood,' Helping Raise Money For Healthcare Supplies
RIDGEWOOD, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- Some teenagers in New Jersey are showing their support for the medical community battling the coronavirus outbreak, with a unique fundraising effort.
They're banding together to make bracelets, and are making a difference, CBS2's Christina Fan reported Sunday.
Lili and Jane Weissberg may be confined to their home, but the Ridgewood teens have been hard at work weaving together support to fight COVID-19. They were spurred into action after seeing on television the harsh reality front-line medical workers are facing.
"It started just like, what should we do to fill our time? And then it became, what can we do to fill our time that can also be helpful to not just us?" said Lili Weissberg, a high school junior.
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The Weissberg sisters decided to turn their hobby of bracelet making into a fundraiser. They looped in their good friend, junior Claire Sullivan, who is good at graphic design, and named their project "Stringing Together Ridgewood."
"I think the goal of it is really just to show the love for the community and those on the front line of this battle," Sullivan said.
"I just think everyone should be a helper in some way," freshman Jane Weissberg added.
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At first, the high schoolers anticipated raising just a couple hundred dollars. But after a shout-out from their district superintendent and the launch of an Instagram page, their orders exploded.
Two weeks later, the team expanded to a group of 16 girls fulfilling orders across the state.
"Definitely exceeded, it's been probably over 200 bracelets and we've made almost $2,000," Lili Weissberg said.
The girls sell the bracelets for between $3 and $10 and the money raised goes directly to Valley Hospital in Ridgewood.
A spokesperson on Sunday said the funds are used to buy masks, gloves, and other crucial personal protection equipment.
"I want them to know that there are people out there that are being really supportive. They want to help, instead of just taking the time for themselves," Lili Weissberg said.
As long as nurses and doctors keep fighting on the front lines, the students said they'll keep braiding at home.
