To the editor:

I wanted to commend a couple of special people in the Lawrence community that I met this past October while visiting the area. I work for a nonprofit organization based out of San Diego called Invisible Children, and a student and teacher at Lawrence Free State High School that I met, Meaghan Travis and Andrew Nussbaum, have worked their tails off to help our organization’s efforts to rebuild schools in the northern portion of the East African country of Uganda. The area’s been torn apart by a 22-year war that is currently escalating even further, and both of them have helped lead their school’s Social Awareness Club to raise funds to help rebuild a school affected by the conflict.

Coming from very far away, I did not know what to expect from Lawrence at all, but Meaghan and Andrew have helped leave an indelible impression of your town on me that will remain there the rest of my life. Their heart and compassion to help those in horrific situations remind me on a daily basis that there are great, everyday people out there who are making a real difference in the world, and I would love to see them recognized by their community.

Eugene Kim,
Invisible Children,
Spring Valley, Calif.