School supplies on their way to Nicaragua from Hilton – “This is fantastic!” said Ciudad Herman volunteer Tim McMahon, left, of the pallet of school supplies collected by Hilton High School students now on its way to the town of El Sauce, Nicaragua. Since December students have collected school supplies and the 18 cartons were shipped in late January. From left are: volunteer Tim McMahon, Jessica Marengo, Katherine Wroblewski, Emma Steinmetz, Nadia Wallace, Mark Romig and Hilton High School Principal Brian Bartalo. Provided photoSince the early 1970s there have been various outreach groups which have linked the Rochester area to a remote village in the Segovia Mountains of Nicaragua and its struggle for clean water, sturdy housing, medical and school supplies. Nicaragua is one of the poorest countries in Central America and the village of El Sauce is no exception.
In January, a group of International Baccalaureate (IB) High School students led by Hilton High School Principal Brian Bartalo decided to make a difference. A volunteer himself in Nicaragua in the early 90s, Bartalo remembers the village. “We collected supplies from students at Merton Williams where I was then a teacher,” he said. “I brought all I could. The supplies were so well-received there and I was so moved by that experience, I promised that I’d remain committed to doing it again.”
Designated as a “SisterCity” for many years, the connections in the Rochester area continue to expand according to Bartalo. “We have plans this spring to start a fundraising project sponsored by the IB students to raise enough money to support the building of a new home for a needy family,” Bartalo said. “According to the ‘4 Walls’ organization in Rochester, this takes approximately $2,000. In US dollars, this wouldn’t pay for much, but in Nicaragua it will fund the basics for new home construction.”
Among the Hilton CSD connections in El Sauce is 2006 Hilton High School graduate Ashley Sullivan who is currently teaching English in an elementary school. Merton Williams and Quest Elementary schools have already reached out and Skyped® with Ashley and plan to do several fundraisers in their schools. Ashley is the daughter of Hilton CSD Learning Through Technology Teacher Patricia Sullivan.
