This year, DECA decided to host a charity dinner at the Country Club to raise money for the Ronald McDonald House charities.

“They put it together and invited a bunch of donors to raise money,” junior Isabelle Braun said.

“This is our first year, and we are hosting the dinner because our goal is very high this year, $50,000,” Braun said. “We need to bring in a lot of money, and we thought this would be a good way to do it.”

They have raised over $56,000 dollars, junior Kallie Leiker said,

“Some of the money is from the past projects we have done like Miracle Minute and coupon books, but a lot of the money is from the dinner we just had,” Leiker said. “We raised $9,700 at the actual dinner and lots of other donors sent in money and then from an anonymous donor we received over $25,000.

“I think it is amazing, there aren’t even words to explain how happy I am that we raised all this money. This is an amazing project, it goes towards such a great cause, and just knowing that we get to impact families is the best feeling.”

The purpose of the project was to raise money for the Ronald McDonald House in Wichita. They are presently renovating 20 rooms at Wesley Hospital for families to stay when a child is in the hospital, instructor Alexis Robinson said.

The Chamber Singers were invited to perform at the charity dinner as well.

“The Chamber singers performed 11 songs for the dinner,” Robinson said. “They were: ‘Here We Come a Caroling,’ ‘Up On The Housetop,’ ‘Flight Song,’ ‘Beulah Lan’,’ ‘Light in the Hallway,’ ‘Earth Song,’ ‘Good King Kong,’ ‘Carol of the Bells,’ ‘My Lord Has Come,’ ‘De King Is Born’ and ‘Peace, Peace.'”

18drooney@usd489.com