This project started with a simple question: “how can we, as teenagers, keep ourselves busy during this abnormal and surreal time and simultaneously work for a greater cause?” As I sat in the car with my family contemplating ways to fill my surplus of time, my sister, Jane’s suggestion of making friendship bracelets kickstarted the multi-thousand dollar charity project, Stringing Together Ridgewood, aka STR. Within minutes of Jane and me coming up with the idea, we reached out to seven of our closest friends at RHS to assist us in getting this project started. We created an Instagram account, Google order form, spreadsheet, logo, and of course, a name, for our newly formed project.
Quickly, STR was known and supported all over Ridgewood. In just over a week, we had raised over $1,000 and sold more than 200 bracelets. Soon, our simple idea of making string bracelets for Covid-19 relief exploded into what it is today: several features on various news platforms, $5,000 raised and counting, 27 crafters, and a name known all over the country. The bracelets are sold for between $2 and $15, depending on the design, and are sanitized and delivered in one to two weeks. Payments are preferably made through venmo, and all of the funds are currently being donated to The Valley Hospital to buy PPE or meals for the healthcare workers fighting Covid-19.
Anyone interested in supporting The Valley Hospital healthcare workers through STR can find us on Instagram @stringingtogetherridgewood or visit our website, www.stringingtogetherridgewood.com.
Lili Weissberg
Staff Writer
Graphic: Nicole Kye