Article sent to Menard Country Review

Athens Junior on Her Way to China 

Kali Bringolf, a junior this school year, leaves June 26 for a seventeen day adventure to China with a delegation of thirty students and three leaders.  In October 2011, Kali attended an orientation with many other teens from the Springfield and surrounding areas.  The orientation was given by People to People Ambassadors.  When the orientation was over, Kali knew this was a chance of a lifetime for her.  She knew this trip would take funds.  Kali started a letter writing campaign asking for donations.

The trip to China hits close to home for Kali as she was adopted from China in 1997.  This will be her first trip to China since she was four years old.  She will be experiencing the culture by staying with a host family, helping in the orchards, spending time in a high school helping students with their English.  Helping out children in a special needs school, and experiencing the wonders of China with trips to see the Terra Cotta Warriors in Xi’an, The Great Wall, Tiannemen Square, and The Forbidden City in Beijing.  She will experience an acrobatic show and the Peking Opera.  She will be learning cooking skills at an elite cooking school in Shangahi.  The delegation will be experiencing  Kung Fu with students at a school and playing ping pong with children of all ages.  She will be floating on a bamboo raft through the canals of Hangzhou.  A trip on the high speed bullet train overnight.   There are so many adventures to be experienced with 29 other students from the area and California

Contributors were Forte International Exchange Association, The Athens Lions Club.  Thank you to these organizations for their monetary donations.   Kali had two Scentsy party fundraisers, Thank you to Ronna Lewis for your assistance in our fundraising endeavors.  There was a Tupperware fundraiser. Thank you to Lisa Marcure for your time in this fundraiser.  There was a combined Garage Sale and bake sale!  Thank you to Nancy Spellman for your donations to the sale.  There were babysitting jobs.  Thank you to Susan and Curt Reichling for seeing the potential.  A very dear friend’s family, the Thomas family donated to her trip.  Thank you so much to the Thomas family.  Thank you also to Cindy and Jeff Eicher for your donation.  Without your contributions this trip would not be just around the corner.