For Miami Valley Today

TROY — The Troy High School ASTRA Club recently spearheaded a fundraising drive that resulted in nearly 700 dental hygiene supplies — including toothbrushes, toothpaste and dental floss — being donated to the Family Abuse Shelter of Miami County.

ASTRA members turned the drive into a joint campaign, teaming up with the Interact Club, Key Club and National Honor Society to see which service organization could donate the most items. Morgan Naranjo turned in more than 200 items to lead ASTRA to victory.

“When I first started teaching at Troy in 1997, I immediately noticed the sense of community and the commitment to doing for others instilled in its students,” Troy High School Latin teacher and ASTA Club advisor Jennifer Limke said. “From helping with the Strawberry Festival to volunteering at the elementary schools for Reading Buddies, these young men and women have always been eager to give a helping hand. In this unprecedented time of the pandemic, the students seem even more concerned with the importance of service. They know that everyone is struggling but as their advisor, I have guided them into realizing that the best way to get through this is to get through it together.

“At the beginning of the 2019-2020 school year, I never realized how important the four pillars of ‘The Trojan Way’ would be,” Limke said. “These kids are making a difference by working together, showing that they are resilient by continuing to keep service at THS alive; they are owning up to their responsibility as citizens of this community, and they are proving to the people of Troy that you matter.”