Sixty-seven years ago, “Trick-or-Treat” for UNICEF began as a way to help the children affected by World War II. Since then, children all over the world have gone trick-or-treating with UNICEF collection boxes to raise money for various causes.

For 70 years, UNICEF has defended the rights of children over 190 countries and territories; the money collected helps the children of those countries and territories access immunization, education, health care, nutrition, clean water and sanitation.

UNICEF only accepts cash donations because it can make the biggest impact and save lives. Once all the donations are collected to UNICEF, the organization identifies the countries where the needs are the greatest, and will allocate from there. Having the children go around on Halloween with collection boxes has been a way to raise money just a quarter at a time.

Jupiter High Physics teacher Lorraine Plageman, a former UNICEF volunteer, is the sponsor for the organization at JHS.

“Living here in the United States, we forget how lucky we truly are. We can walk down the hall and get clean water from the water fountain here. Every student in Palm Beach County is entitled to free breakfast. In many parts of the world, kids do not have clean water, they do not have enough food to eat, they do not have medicine or they cannot go to school because they have to support their family,” said Plageman.

The 2017 campaign runs from July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018. Donations received after June 30 will be added to next year’s campaign.

Every dollar donated to UNICEF makes a difference. $1 gives a pack of pencils to 30 students, $55 gives a box of 150 food packets to malnourished children and $210 buys a school-in-a-box to help 40 refugee kids learn and heal.