Ashburn Students Make Donation to Loudoun Homeless Shelter

The Farmwell Station Middle School Young Entrepreneurs business club raised money for the Loudoun County Homeless Services Center during a recent play at the school after receiving a challenge from their teachers.

The students, who also have been busy developing new business ideas, were challenged to raise money for a deserving organization of their choice. They chose to sell refreshments during the school’s version of The Little Mermaid.

“The kids, at intermission and through the show, raised $1,100,” said David Stephenson, a teacher who worked with the students. Essentially the items were sold before the show and at intermission in two rushes.

“It was 20 minutes of way intense … woom,” Stephenson said as he explained it to Loudoun County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Edgar Hatrick, who attended a presentation of the check to representatives from the shelter on Tuesday. The Young Entrepreneurs voted to give check to the shelter, an act of kindness Hatrick said was beyond their years. 

“A lot of people think since Loudoun County is a rich county we don’t have homelessness, but we do,” Hatrick said. “The work of the shelters is extremely important and the fact that you chose them says a lot about you. Keep up the good work.”

Teri Colbert, another teacher who works with the Young Entrepreneurs, said the kids learned an important lesson in “cash management” through the exercise, and not just with Monopoly money.

“We figured out how to do this with real money,” she said.

The kids have been learning a lot about business. Stephenson and Colbert even do their own version of Shark Tank, the ABC television show where business pros weigh in on new business ideas.

The student who participated in the fundraiser:

• Kamal Haruna
• Conner Johnson
• Alex Dumouchelle
• Jonathan Windle
• Mustafa Abdi
• David Giebert
• Sam Chawla
• Josh Hinemean
• Nuhas Bhuiyan
• Zachary Uiterwijk
• Ariana Rojas
• Erin Frederick
• Aleix Vargas
• Jordyn Reynolds
• Adam Khan