The Girl Up club is spreading some love this year on Valentine’s Day! This year, FTHS seniors Sarah Xiao, Arielle Yu, and Erin Alvarico sell handmade cards to FTHS students to fundraise for the Girl Up campaign, a branch of the United Nations Foundation that empowers underprivileged girls in poverty-stricken countries. Through this campaign, all proceeds go to UN programs such as UNHCR which fund girls’ education, safety, and health.

It all started when the president of the club, Sarah Xiao, came up with the idea last May to create Mother’s Day cards and sell them in school. She reached out to club member Arielle Yu for her incredible calligraphy skills, and knew that with her help, Girl Up could raise a lot of money.

Together, Sarah and Arielle walked around the cafeteria (with the school’s permission) and sold the cards for $1 each to anyone interested during their lunch period. In total, they raised around $40.

Motivated to do even better this year, Sarah reached out to another talented artist, Erin Alvarico. Often, Sarah would see her doodling cute characters in her notebook during her AP English Lit class, and was always amazed by how effortless she made drawing look. So when Valentine’s Day was drawing near, she knew just the two people to ask to help make cards. With Arielle’s beautiful calligraphy and Erin’s geeky and adorable cartoons, people in school would be willing to buy cards and contribute to a good cause.

Together, the three girls created corny Valentine’s Day cards with a variety of puns, ranging from adorable (you’re “dinomite”) to downright cheesy (I’m “soy” into you”).  Pre-made cards sold for just  $1 each, while customized/personalized cards sold for $2. Little did anyone know that the word would spread so quickly and that people would enjoy the cards so much.

While it was nice hearing that the cards were cute and a great idea, it was even more rewarding when the people who bought the cards were genuinely interested in the cause to which the fundraiser was dedicated to. Something as simple as “what you’re doing is amazing” or “I love your cause” just made all the hours spent making the cards extremely worth it. **Shoutout to the amazing janitor who paid with a $20 bill and said “Keep the change.”

The cards were a huge hit among students and teachers alike. Many students bought cards to be delivered to their friends’ homerooms, and numerous teachers bought them to bring home to their kids. Overall, Girl Up spread a lot of love on Valentine’s Day and showed that it was not a holiday just for boyfriends or girlfriends, but for everyone you cherish in your life. The club raised a whopping $120 by the end of the week, which will all be sent directly to the Girl Up campaign.

Thanks to those who bought cards and helped put smiles on people’s faces on Wednesday, you are all Girl Up’s valentines.