Walking 6K to Build a Library

When teacher Heather McCarthy returned from a visit to Africa, she brought more than memories home — she brought a mission. Moved by what she witnessed, she shared photos and videos with her students at Oak Lawn-Hometown Middle School, and the response was immediate. Students wanted to help. Together, they organized a 6K walk for literacy to raise money for the Tinogona Foundation — a nonprofit working to build a library in Zimbabwe and ensure that children in rural communities have access to quality education, regardless of their gender or socioeconomic background.
Students threw themselves into the event: designing posters, fundraising in the community, and recruiting family and friends to walk alongside them. For many, the experience was their first taste of what global philanthropy can look like — and what one inspired idea, one caring heart, and one community can accomplish when they come together. As one student put it: “One idea, one crazy thought, one caring heart, one young and inspired mind can change the world.”