Fremd homecoming raises $5,000 for Thai orphanage

Fremd High School's student council raised $5,000 over homecoming for the Thai Your Shoes Foundation, spearheaded by Fremd student Lisa Koenig.

Koenig, a member of the cross country and track and field teams, has been raising money and supplies over several years for Baan Jing Jai, or House of the Sincere Hearts, an orphanage in Thailand.

Koenig has spent the last five summers in Pattaya, Thailand with her father and stepmother, and several years ago discovered the orphanage not far from the father's home.

The kids there lacked proper footwear, so Koenig started the Thai Your Shoes Foundation, but has since expanded it to include other necessities for the children, including toys.

In May she held a 5K race at Deer Grove East Forest Preserve and raised $2,500 for the foundation.

For details, visit thaiyourshoes.weebly.com.

- Ashok Selvam