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Students Use Money For End-Of-School Trip To Help Family Who Lost Home And Farm In Fire

April 22, 2020

On October 30, 2019, the farm of a family in the village of Grüsch, Switzerland, burnt down.

Grüsch, Switzerland / Photo: Adrian Michael

The stables and the family's house completely burned down. These buildings were around 300 years old.

The next morning at the local public school, students were shocked by the news of the horrific event.

They wanted to help.

Photo provided by Robin Egger

Robin Egger, a head teacher at the school, worked with a colleague and together they developed a plan for their students to help the family.

They went to local businesses and asked for donations for the family. In exchange for a donation, their company logo was displayed at a market stall where students sold homemade goods.

Market stall / Photo provided by Robin Egger

In addition, the students donated all of the money they raised for their end-of-school trip.

"Traditionally, the 9th graders sell self-made Christmas cards in town to earn money for their end-of-school trip," Egger told Sunny Skyz. "The students donated all their earnings to the project. Instead of investing time in a project that would have benefited their end-of-year school trip, they spent their afternoons raising money solely for this family that lost everything."

The students also decorated a large card with hopeful wishes for the family. The card was displayed at the local town store and on Sundays at the church.

The generosity and compassion of the 27 students involved in this project was brought to the attention of Somedia, a regional media company based in Chur, Switzerland.

Representatives of the company showed up at the school and surprised the students with unexpected good news: the students were going on an end-of-year trip, free of charge.

Somedia paid the expenses for all of the students to visit Europapark, a world-famous theme park in Germany.

Photo provided by Robin Egger

Egger says the family who lost their home and farm in the fire is doing "much better".

"At first the family didn't want to accept the money; they thought it was too much and they were too humble, but at last they were convinced to accept the money and have decided to rebuild the house and the stables. The daughter will take over the farm from her elderly parents and continue farming," Egger said.