Garden City High School students support World Central Kitchen through annual World Language Badmint
On March 4, Garden City High School’s world language department brought students together for its annual World Language Badminton Tournament, combining friendly competition with community service. Students from German, Italian, Latin and Spanish classes, clubs and honor societies participated in the event while also volunteering their time to help it run smoothly. Proceeds from the tournament were donated to World Central Kitchen, an organization dedicated to providing meals to people in need around the world.
This year’s tournament featured 49 teams and 98 competitors, along with additional students who supported the event by managing the bake sale, helping with setup, refereeing matches and volunteering throughout the day. Together, their efforts raised more than $800 — one of the highest totals in the event’s history.
The tournament followed Garden City High School’s World Language Week, which included a variety of engaging activities such as daily trivia, morning music and international cuisine served in the school cafeteria.
Congratulations to seniors Jayden Lu and Sara Shamail, who earned first place; sophomores Seamus Ryan and Benjamin Wiese, who placed second; and junior Brielle James and freshman Kaitlyn Varghese, who won the award for most creative costume.
“The World Language Badminton Tournament is a wonderful way for students to come together for a good cause,” said Victoria Buonpane, Garden City’s coordinator of social studies and world languages. “It reflects our department’s belief that learning languages helps students understand that we are all part of a global community.