Arizona YLP with Azerbaijan Finalists Help to Organize the Relay for Life – Red Mountain GYSD Event

The Red Mountain High School Team at the Relay
for Life Event

Rajan Patel, Abbie Sharkey, and Alyssa Vossler worked together with their fellow students to take part in the Relay for Life at Red Mountain.   Relay for Life is a nationwide fundraising event to help find the cure to cancer. The 2012 Relay for Life at Red Mountain had 1,037 participants, 93 teams, and raised over $76,368 for the battle to find the cure to cancer. 

YLP with Azerbaijan finalists set up booths to sell various products to other participants to raise money towards the cause.  Aside from fundraising, scores of people take to the track in order to show their support of the physical battle with cancer, with someone from every team walking at all times. "Celebrate, Remember, Fight Back" is written on their shirts as they walk in the heat of the Arizona sun determined to make a difference. Survivors of cancer are also invited to the event, allowing them to join in the fun and allowing others to celebrate their intense battle with one of the world’s most deadly diseases. Fundraising continued through the night in Arizona and into the hours of early morning, during which "Hope, Cope, and Cure" was spelled out with candles on bleachers to round off the event.

Abbie Sharkey and Rajan Patel serve snow
cones to raise funds going towards
the research of cancer.

"Relay for life means a lot to me and I believe that it is extremely important to me that we keep on working to find a cure to the deadly disease of cancer,” said YLP with Azerbaijan Finalist Abbie Sharkey upon completion of the event, “It was so motivating and inspiring to see all the survivors and cancer patients at the event.” Students from across Mesa, Arizona attended Red Mountain High School’s Relay for Life event on April 21, 2012, a tradition upheld by the school for years. “This was my first relay, but my experience here today has certainly made me want to come back in the future,” said student and YLP with Azerbaijan Finalist Rajan Patel, “I never knew fundraising could be this fun!” The event certainly inspired students and adults alike to take action against cancer, and encouraged people of all ages to speak up and help understand the cause behind Relay for Life. Many attendees continue to come back year after year to show their support. As YLP with Azerbaijan Finalist Alyssa Vossler stated, “This is in honor of those who have lost the battle of cancer and for those who are still fighting back. Someday soon, we hope that there is a cure for cancer.” 

 Relay for Life events took place throughout the Phoenix Metro area. Teams range from school teams to community and family teams, and people of all ages and backgrounds join in order to support the world’s fight against cancer. The goal of each event is a simple one: raise as much money during the year as you can, and donate all proceeds to fund the research of various types of cancer. Every year in April, the nation’s teams gather at the Relay events in order to raise awareness of the fight against cancer, and raise even more money towards research.

Lead a Healthy Lifestyle without Cigarettes - YLP with Azerbaijan Project in Sumgayit, Azerbaijan

The awesome YLP with
Azerbaijan finalists who
organized the event!

On April 28, Aydin Agayev, Rashida Askerli, and Irada Mehdiyeva led a presentation for 16 students at the Sumgayit Education USA Center about the dangers of smoking.  The YLP with Azerbaijan finalists created a short movie and presentation to show participants about the harm that can be caused by smoking cigarettes. 

After the presentation, the finalists worked together with the group to hold an English language conversation club – where they shared their English language expertise with the students.    

Duwamish Alive! YLP with Azerbaijan participants in Seattle Celebrate GYSD 2012

On  April 21, eight student and two adult participants of the Youth Leadership Program with Azerbaijan participated in a Global Youth Service Day event in Seattle called “Duwamish Alive!”, which took place at the West Duwamish Greenbelt, Seattle’s largest remaining contiguous forest.  


This blog post is brought to you by Sahil Piyarali, YLP with Azerbaijan Finalist from Seattle, Washington. 

Removing invasive plants in the West
Duwamish Greenbelt contiguous forest for GYSD 

Our group was placed at a work station that also included those student and adult participants taking part in the Youth Leadership Program with Bosnia and Herzegovina, who are currently in Seattle, Washington.  Our whole team was taken to a back area of the forest, and after a long lecture by the volunteer person from EarthCorps who was helping our work station out, we got to work. The task that was given to us was to remove blackberry plants and ivy that was growing in this area of the forest. It was hard work, having to pull, cut, and dig the roots of these plants out of the ground, and not confuse them with other plants growing close by. We had two work periods lasting about an hour-90 minutes each, with a break in between. At the end of the day, we were told that to keep the forest going, removing the blackberry plants and the ivy were vital, as they were invasive plants that blocked the way for more native and economical plants to grow. It was amazing to see how much we had impacted the forest for the better and the end of the day by removing these invasive plants.

Takeaways: This event was a VERY successful event on many levels! It was the first time that we, YLP with Azerbaijan exchange participants, have met in a group, and for some it was the first time meeting others in the group (some of them knew each other from school etc beforehand), and also meeting two of the trip leaders who will be taking us to Azerbaijan.  We got to start building a lot of group camaraderie, as there was plenty of time for talking throughout the day! Meeting the participants from Bosnia and Herzegovina was a rewarding experience as well, as we got to talk to them for plenty of time.  Finally, just being able to make an impact on the environment was a really nice way to pull us all together. 

YLP with Azerbaijan student participants from Seattle, Washington
celebrating GYSD

The Youth Leadership Program with Azerbaijan Finalists of Baku and Sumgait Azerbaijan Unite at the GYSD Novkhani Beach Clean Up

YLP finalists take part in
an ice breaker before the start
of the event 

The atmosphere was jolly at the Azadliq Metro on April 22.  Nineteen Youth Leadership Program with Azerbaijan finalists and alternates laughed, joked, and talked the whole way to their first-ever join community service event – the Novkhani Beach Clean Up! 

The event started with team getting to know each other better through icebreakers and teambuilding events.  Youth Leadership Program with Azerbaijan Program Director in Azerbaijan Ramina Murshudova led the event with the help of FLEX Alumni Coordinator Kristina  Stepnova ’10, Elefser Rasulzada '11, and Javad Hajiev'11. 

Team Work

As a team, the YLP with Azerbaijan participants slapped on their work gloves, put a few bags in their back pockets and were ready to clean up the beach.  Participants passed the time by making up stories about being present-day Azerbaijani Cinderellas who lost not only shoes but also their toothbrushes, hand creams, slides and sponges – some of the odd items that they picked up on the shore of the beach!  After two hours, over 20 huge bags of trash were collected. 

Helping the community and beautifying the beach!

To congratulate themselves on their first joint service project, participants enjoyed lunch on the beach (and were sure to pick up the trash they made after themselves!) The GYSD event ended with an interesting activity where all of the participants made a web out of string.  Everyone passed on the string and shared their impressions of the day’s events and their hopes and wishes for things to come with the Youth Leadership Program with Azerbaijan exchange. 

Besides the obvious positive result of cleaning up a Baku beach, the event helped participants get to know each other and helped to make them understand the needs of their communities and country.  Participants hope that events such as this one will interest Azerbaijani youth and more people will join in on helping the country to be clean, beautiful and safe.

YLP finalists from Baku and Sumgait  at the
GYSD Novkhani Beach Clean Up

Thank you to all of the YLP with Azerbaijan participants who helped to make this blog post happen, mainly – Saleh Jafarov and Sayyara Yusifova!

YLP with Azerbaijan finalist from Arizona Promotes Recycling for GYSD!

Earth Club members organize events during lunch
for Earth Day and GYSD

Paige Zuraw, YLP with Azerbaijan finalist from Westwood High School in Arizona volunteered with her school’s environmental club for Global Youth Service Day.  Westwood High School students celebrated Earth Week on the 19th, 20th, and 23rd by hosting several activities during lunch.  Together with 20 other student and teacher volunteers at her school, Paige encouraged the general student body to support a healthier planet by holding environmentally friendly games and fundraising events.  Some of the games played included “Trashketball” in which competitors had to throw bottles into a recycling bin, dance-offs where the participants danced to music, and Bottle Bowling where bottles are knocked down with a ball.  The winners received the prize of a reusable water bottle or an Earth Club t-shirt.  The games were enjoyed by competitors and spectators alike.

Trashketball anyone?  

To raise money, the Earth Club sold henna tattoos.  People in the club used henna to make custom designs on the purchaser, and the henna paste will eventually rub off and leave a mark.  Henna is very “green”, because it is a natural dye made of plant material, and it stains the skin for only a few weeks.  Many people at Westwood High School bought the henna tattoos, and the profits from the event will be used to pay for current projects, as well as support future service activities planned by the club.  A portion of the money will be used to buy supplies for families in need during the club’s Adopt-A-Family annual project where the Earth Club donates supplies to a newly immigrated family.   It will also be used to construct a new garden to beautify the Westwood High School campus.  

When asked about the event Paige said, “I enjoyed volunteering during Earth Week by setting up games, encouraging others to recycle and designing henna.  These things helped the Westwood Earth Club, and in turn will help the planet.  I also liked being able to see how our efforts made other students happy and more apt to recycle.  Being born on Earth Day, I am very environmentally conscious, so I would like to do all I can to keep our planet green and help others.”

A thank you to Paige Zuraw for her blog submission and happy belated birthday!  

Ganja YLP with Azerbaijan Finalist Teach Children to Love and Take Care of Nature

Raifa Valiyeva speaks to the students
about the importance of recycling

On April 21, in celebration of Global Youth Service Day, eight Youth Leadership Program with Azerbaijan (YLP) participants from Ganja organized and participated in an event to teach youth in the community the value of caring for nature.  The event started with presentations about the importance of plants, saving trees and taking care of trees, recycling, reusing, and reducing. YLP adult finalist Rafia Valiyeva and Vusal Mammedov, a local professional in gardening and landscaping who works as a journalist for media center, led the interactive presentations, which included question and answer times for the children.  Additionally two students from the Agrarian University made presentations for the children.

Following the presentations, the children, YLP student finalists, and YLP adult finalists from Ganja planting trees and seeds in the yard of the Young Leaders Association.  Joining in on the event was local Peace Corps volunteer Elaine Vukov, who interviewed the volunteers to put together an article about the project. 

Above and below
Students and YLP with Azerbaijan
finalists plant trees and seeds during
the GYSD event 

This project, which started with the Lofty Tree play and ending with presentations and a hands-on project, taught the children involved about the importance of protecting the environment and how they can pitch in with their little hands! 

  

Quotes from the event include: 

Elaine Vukov Peace Corps volunteer in Ganja.  “The combination of having the kids do the Lofty Trees, environmental play, and the planting seeds activity is very instructional.  The children are learning to appreciate nature, put on a play and have fun all in one.”

Farida Sultanova YLP finalist said “ We can show how to keep clean our surrounding environment, how to fight against pollution of water of air. In our planet there are a lot of problems. But if we can unite in such organizations we can overcome.”

Halima Fatullayeva another YLP adult finalist says: ”They need just one step  from us adult to share or give them opportunity. Later they will be very good example. We need more initiatives people to do such events.”

YLP with Azerbaijan Finalists in Baku Share Promote Healthy Lifestyles for GYSD

Leyla organizing a presentation
at her school

Three Youth Leadership Program with Azerbaijan finalists, Javid Kerimli,

Leyla Azizova, and Sarkhan Gadirzade organized presentations at schools in Baku, Azerbaijan on the dangers of smoking for Global Youth Service Day.  

According to the World Health organization, the health effects of smoking on young people include respiratory problems, addiction to nicotine, lower level of lung function, and increased risk of cancer.  These and other facts were shared with hundreds of the finalists’ classmates at School #82, the Baku European Lyceum, and the Deyanet Turkish Lyceum. 

These presentations are part of a larger project organized by alumni of the Eurasia FLEX Alumni Program, who will organize a Capital-wide awareness campaign of the dangers of cigarettes targeting youth.  FLEX Alumni will organize presentations at schools and universities, invite local experts, and organize a public event to distribute brochures to the community to educate them about the negative aspects of smoking. 
Thanks to the YLP with Azerbaijan finalists for their cooperation in this event and for spreading the word to their classmates about the dangers of smoking!  

Javid shares the dangers of smoking
with his classmates

Sarkhan presents about the
dangers of smoking to over
100 classmates