Frosty Grams, or candy canes with a note attached, a WeGo Global tradition conducted each winter to raise money to donate to an organization during the holidays, were delivered last week.

This year, WeGo Global sought to help victims of flooding in Pakistan. This year, monsoons in Pakistan have impacted millions of people in all four of the nation’s provinces. The significant rainfall and accompanying floods have displaced people, and issued in a wave of infectious diseases such as malaria.

According to UNICEF, “Many families are still living in makeshift tents alongside the road or near the rubble of their home – often in the open, right next to contaminated and stagnant water.”

The donations raised by WeGo Global this December will be sent to Mercy Corps, an organization that seeks to aid people in more than 40 countries worldwide.

The fundraiser idea was brought to life by junior Enaya Kazmi, a member of WeGo Global. Kazmi brought the idea of the fundraiser for Pakistan to Maggie Haas, adviser of WeGo Global. Both Haas and the rest of the club agreed to the idea.

“I chose Pakistan because it’s not just the country’s issue, it’s a global issue too,” said Kazmi.

In 2022, WeGo Global decided to get rid of the holiday aspect they have long-used to promote the fundraiser. In the past, students dressed as Santa delivered the candy grams, but WeGo Global decided that snowpeople would do so this year. Kazmi and Haas felt Christmas theme used in previous years did not quite match the organization to which they were donating.

“We figured we should go with a more neutral winter theme to go with the project,” said Haas.

Although the grams were not advertised heavily on social media, over 60 students were involved planning and implementing the fundraiser, and WeGo Global received over $800 in sales this year.

“It was nice to see people buying a bunch of them for friends,” said Kazmi.

“It was very nice to receive a gram,” said Alexis Huerta, senior at West Chicago.