Wellington Debate needs your assistance!
A record 13 members of the Wellington Debate Team have qualified to compete at two national championship tournaments this year. Twelve – seniors Vinnie Gasso, Caitlyn Konopka, Kevin Murphy, Dylan Race, and Yourui Ruan; juniors Greg Foster, Michael Leatherman; sophomores Antoinette Gray, Cameron Harker, and Savannah Race; and freshmen Gillian Kruisland and Caramen McDaniel – will be at the National Catholic Forensic League “Grand National” in Chicago over Memorial Day weekend. Three – Foster, Gasso, and junior Kwadjo Walker – have advanced to the National Forensic League National Championship in Kansas City for a week in mid-June. These students’ accolades have been amazing!
When factoring in airfare, lodging and registration expenses, competing at these tournaments will cost around $10,000 total. We are hopeful members of the Wellington community will help reduce tournament expenses for these outstandingly talented and driven young adults through donations to Wellington Debate. This can be done in a few ways:
(1) Go to http://www.gofundme.com/wellingtondebate2014 and make a donation there. (We are trying to raise $5,000 through this website!)
(2) Make a tax-deductible donation by check or money order, payable to Wellington Debate.
If individuals would rather send a check (Option #2), the address is:
Wellington High School
2101 Greenview Shores Blvd.
Room 4-104
Wellington, FL 33414
When it comes to the future of our children, there is only one goal that matters … and there’s no debate on this issue! We must, at any cost, provide our children with all of the tools they will need to keep the future of our great nation financially stable and insure global superiority for generations to come.
Wellington High School Debate is a non-profit high school program that addresses this issue. Through hands-on activities, mentoring, presentations, and weekend competitive debate tournaments, students discover the world of competitive performance and political dialogue. Participants are challenged to research current events, outline positions both in support of and against the topic, and openly argue and defend their position. Wellington Debate also allows students to memorize edited scripts from plays, musicals and movies, and present them in a competitive acting forum.
Lawyers, teachers, public relations officers, radio and television personalities, executives, and prominent public figures testify to the benefits of debate participation. In fact, 80% of Congress debated competitively, and every U.S. President going back to Harry S Truman debated. Many of them found lifelong friends through their involvement, and gained valuable skills for use in their careers. Further, studies show colleges and universities rank debate among the most valued experiences a student can have when applying to college; a recent study showed the single most important factor in college admission to Ivy League and national universities was participation in speech, debate, and/or drama.
On behalf of my students, I thank you in advance for your assistance. Please feel free to contact me; my team and I truly appreciate your generosity and support.
Sincerely,
Paul L. Gaba
Debate Coach
Paul L. Gaba
Debate Coach