The Back2School Project presents an opportunity for students at Oklahoma Christian University to look out for the welfare of struggling schoolchildren in New Zealand by donating at their Mahjong fundraiser on April 9 at 8:30 p.m. in The Brew.
Entry costs only $10 and, according to event organizers, the money could change lives.
Students in New Zealand begin school at 5 years old, regardless of how far into the school year their birthday is. New students require uniforms, backpacks, stationery, lunch boxes and water bottles among other supplies.
B2SP raises money to prepare personalized bags of school supplies annually for children whose families cannot afford them.
“The cost of living in New Zealand is really high,” Faith Murell, friend of B2SP and former New Zealander, said. “A full backpack with all of the supplies is 100 New Zealand dollars for one kid, so it’s hard for people.”
Students in need get to pick a backpack for themselves and receive “exactly what they need” to begin their first year of school, according to Rylee Cherry, social media and marketing manager and daughter of the B2SP director.
“It’s very important to us that each kid feels unique and valued and special. Being able to have their own choice in backpack is something they don’t often get a choice in,” Cherry said.
B2SP measures fundraising success by how many backpacks of supplies can be purchased with the money raised. $100 NZD equates to approximately $60 USD, meaning each $10 attendance fee pays for one-sixth of a child’s school supplies.
“One of our big mottos is ‘Every backpack is a child,’” Cherry said. “For us, it’s how many children are we seeing going to school more well-equipped from this event?”
B2SP is partnering with local Mahjong company OkieMahj to support the fundraiser.
“What we love about Mahjong is community,” OkieMahj co-owner Addy Panter said. “It brings people around a table. We do it for family — for play too. Play is something that I believe gets lost in adulthood.”
Students will gather in The Brew during the fundraiser to immerse themselves in a casual game of Mahjong.
“Something that’s special too about Mahjong is how tactile it is,” Panter said. “Getting to actually feel tiles and the sound that comes with it.”
As attendees arrive, they will be assigned a table based on skill level. Beginners will sit with beginners so they can receive guidance from experienced players from OkieMahj.
“You don’t need to know how to play to come,” Panter said. “Part of it is getting to learn even if you don’t know anything about Mahjong. This is a great way to learn at an affordable price and supporting a really good cause.”
B2SP founder and director Jennifer Cherry explained how a free childcare program turned into buying backpacks for 5-year-olds.
“We’re missionaries here,” Cherry said. “We started once-a-month childcare for free in our community, and realized how much the community lacked and what they needed. That project ran for nine years. It just kind of evolved into Back2School Project.”
Cherry’s daughter, Rylee, is an Interior Architecture student at Oklahoma Christian helping oversee the fundraiser.
“She has always been my right-hand person,” Cherry said. “She’s walked beside me and dreamed with me every step of the way, and it’s amazing to see her develop and what she brings to our conversations and to the kids and to the community.”
According to Cherry, B2SP holds the motto, “‘One day starts with day one,” to emphasize that an investment in school supplies for a child’s first day of school is an investment in their future.
“A child when they’re five, they can say ‘One day I want to be a fireman.’ Their ‘one day’ starts with their day one — like their first day of school,” Cherry said.
Students who want to attend the fundraiser on April 9 can sign up with this form. Any additional donations can be made through the official Back2School Project website.
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