Over the past year, Skyline College student, Lindsay D’Amico has been raising money so she can volunteer this summer in Sri Lanka.

D’Amico, a Phi Theta Kappa member, has been working hard to earn enough money so that she may volunteer with “Bridge 2 Peace,” an organization that is geared towards teaching children in third world countries.

She has to raise $3,400 dollars in order to get to Lunugamvehera, Sri Lanka, and so far she has raised $2,000 in donations. A majority of the money she raises goes to teaching the children. D’Amico thinks that she will need to raise the money by May, but until then a space will be saved for her at the school.

“I’ve been talking to neighbors, friends and I’ve been standing out in front of a bunch of Trader Joe’s doing bake sales,” D’Amico said.

“Bridge 2 Peace,” was founded by four people, one of which was a UCLA graduate that came to Skyline to talk about the children of Sri Lanka, during the “Gold, Gods and Glory: the dynamics of power colloquium.” Amali Tower was involved with the founding of the school, and talked with the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, to get a land grant, so they could build the school and begin teaching. The school gives priority to children whose parents died due to the tsunami in 2004 and the civil war that has torn Sri Lanka since 1983.

D’Amico had already been on the fundraising trail when Tower came to speak at Skyline. She first heard of “Bridge 2 Peace” through Phi Theta Kappa, and D’Amico thought it important to get involved in someway. This is also her first time becoming involved in some sort of volunteer work.

“I think it’s an excellent cause, she is doing a great service in helping others less fortunate,” said Richard Chiang, a Skyline student and officer of the Skyline chapter of Phi Theta Kappa.

Chiang is also helping out with the fundraising by getting the word out by making flyers for the faculty and staff that detail D’Amico’s mission. He became involved after a “Bridge 2 Peace” seminar was held in Feb.

While Chiang gets the word out, D’Amico continues to raise money for her trip. She is planning on doing fundraising around campus to aid in her current fundraising spots.

D’Amico still has a way to go before she reaches he goal, but she is still optimistic and in the event that she doesn’t raise enough money to go in person, she still plans to send the money to the school anyway.

“I think it’s an achievable goal,” Chiang said. “I would like to see everyone here at Skyline participate in helping her, because it’s a worthy cause.”