“At first I thought this was a rock and roll thing,” said Michaela De Jonge, one of the students. “But when I found out we got to sit and rock all night I thought that would be really fun, and it was. I wrapped up in a blanket and got some time to download new songs to my iPod and hang out with all my friends.”
Youth leader David Donselar uses a homemade megaphone to keep the boys rocking.
De Jonge was one of 17 students and five adults from Ferrysburg Community Christian Reformed Church in Spring Lake, Mich., who recently rocked all night to raise money for a mission trip.
“I got motion sick, but I still enjoyed it,” said student Louisa Johnson. “I got to learn a lot about my fellow youth group members.”
The group spent the evening rocking, eating food, playing games like rocking chair basketball, and even celebrating a birthday with balloons and cake.
The rock-a-thon was one of the many fundraisers the high school youth group put on to raise money for a mission trip to Rehoboth, N.M., in June. Students were required to raise a minimum of $100 to participate. So far the group has raised $4,457 from the event; they’re still waiting for more money to come in.
“The monies raised will make a big dent in the $17,000 we need to raise,” said youth director Paula De Jonge. “As of today, we are closing in on $10,000 raised so far from other fundraisers, but only have two more events left.”