Students studying social activism at Proctor Academy recently eggs-ecuted a unique fundraiser that served as a reflection on civil disobedience and, according to its organizer, help relieve some end-of-the-year stress.
The fundraiser, which benefitted Court Appointed Special Advocates of New Hampshire (CASA of New Hampshire), invited students to purchase an egg filled with paint, inscribe it with something they’d like to rid the world of, and lob it at a canvas.
By the end of the day, three canvases were covered in splattered paint and scraps of eggshell and the students had, at least symbolically, destroyed the world’s problems.
Abbie Young of Andover, a senior in the class, said she and classmates Grace Hovem and Haley Schorer, led the project, which was modeled after an art project one of Abbie’s friends had done on a smaller scale. She said they loved the idea because egging is often seen as a form of expressing anger, but they were able to use it as a way to rally the community around a good cause and chuck a few eggs in a non-destructive manner.
“There’s a reason people do it. It relieves stress,” Abbie said. “Everyone in the class just loved the idea, so we decided to go with it.”
They constructed the fundraiser around family weekend, and got their parents, faculty and community members involved. Abbie said they spent hours tapping holes into 350 eggs so they could dump the yolk and pour in various colors of paint.
It was a busy three weeks, she said, from when they started talking about the project to when they executed it.
“It was hectic but it worked really well,” Abbie said. “My favorite part was seeing the community come together and support this. It was interesting to see the things in the community people didn’t like and would want to get rid of in the world.”
The messages ranged from light-hearted – mosquitoes and English class – to serious: poverty, racism, and child abuse.
In addition to selling the eggs, faculty members baked goodies for a bake sale to run during the event. Abbie said they raised more than $800 between the bake sale and egg-raiser to donate to CASA, a statewide child advocacy organization that recruits, trains, and supervises adult volunteers who serve as volunteer Guardians Ad Litem in court for abused and neglected children.
Abbie said they chose CASA as the beneficiary of the fundraiser because they are impressed by the work done on behalf of children in the state. The teen said she wanted to do her senior project with CASA, but was too young, so this was another opportunity to give back to the organization.
Abbie said they will present a check to CASA on May 19 at the Tracey Memorial Library in New London during an information session where people can learn more about getting involved as a volunteer advocate. More information is available at CASAnh.org.
As for the paint splattered canvases? “They’re beautiful,” Abbie said. Last she knew, the canvases had taken up residence in the back of the school’s theater, awaiting their fate. She said they are still trying to decide what to do with them, but hanging them at the school or even auctioning them have both been considered.
A video from the fundraiser can be seen at AndoverBeacon.com/CASA.