Give a Box - a heartwarming project from BG's students.
For the second year in a row, Birkerød Gymnasium participated in Center Sandholmlejren's Christmas market. Seven of our IB students had a stall there, where they handed out gifts to the many children who live at Center Sandholm which is a center for people seeking asylum in Denmark. The idea was initiated by IB student Jasmin Jade Nicklen last year.
In the weeks leading up to Center Sandholm's Christmas market, the Give a Box group at BG collected donated gifts from teachers and students. The group then prepared the gifts, wrapped them in beautiful paper and sorted them by gender and age. Before this work began, the students had been in contact with the Sandholm tenant, so they would know how many children are currently staying at the center and what age groups there are. That way, the students could ensure that there would be a gifts suitable for all the children who came through.
On the day of the Christmas market itself, all the students in the Give a Box committee and a janitor set off with the van full of gifts towards Center Sandholm at lunchtime. Here they were met by Birthe Solevad, who is a teacher at the asylum center, and who had invited the students to lunch and a tour of Sandholmlejeren before the Christmas market, so that the students could get an insight into how the residents' daily life goes.
After this, the students began to prepare their stall among the many other Christmas stalls. Among other things, you could look at art and buy fine Christmas crocheted goods here. Along the way, one of Center Sandholm's young residents played beautiful Christmas music for the visitors.
The guests in the students' booth came from many different nations, and they all had in common that their homeland is affected by war or other serious crises. The youngest visitor was 11 months and the oldest 17 years. It was a very moving and touching day with care and consideration at the centre.
"At BG, we are very proud to have students who take such responsibility for their fellow humans and take the initiative for such a large project themselves and follow it all the way through. We are very happy that we could participate again this year and also that there are already students ready to take over the task from Jasmin, who will be a graduating this summer", says the principal of Birkerød Gymnasium, Claus Reinholdt Campeotto.