Band-Aid Donations Sought for Bandage Project
Nov 08, 2017 08:25PM ● By Jeanne Fratello
A portion of the Band-Aids collected for the Bandage Project (photo courtesy Lisa Liss)
A massive, decade-long effort to collect 1.5 million Band-Aids as a memorial to the children who perished in the Holocaust is not quite complete... and a local student has launched an effort to get Manhattan Beach residents involved.
The Bandage Project was started in 2008 by Sacramento-area teacher Lisa Liss, who wanted to teach her students about the staggering number of children who were killed in the Holocaust. The class came up with the idea of collecting 1.5 million Band-Aids, each printed with the name of a child who died, which they plan to display at the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles upon completion.
Nearly ten years into the project, Liss's effort has garnered 916,255 bandages, but still needs more than half a million to go.
"Through this project we are trying to promote tolerance and teach that hate hurts and tolerance heals," said Liz Glozman. "Band-Aids come in every shape, size and color, just like children, and they promote healing. With this collection, we can become part of something bigger."
Teacher Lisa Liss says that the whole effort has taken longer than expected, but that fact in and of itself has become a learning opportunity. "We thought it would be something that happened quickly, but our average is about 100,000 bandages a year," she said.
Liss added, "I've often been discouraged because it is taking too long, until a manager at the Wal-Mart where I was purchasing the bandages by the caseload gave me hope. He asked why I bought so many bandages. I explained the Bandage Project to him and he said, 'You haven't reached your goal yet because more students need to be a part of it...If you finished it quickly, only one class would be a part, so many classes need to experience this and learn about healing.' Since then, we have hope and I know that hundreds of children are a part of it."
Once the project is complete, the plan is to display the collection at the Museum of Tolerance.
Liss adds: "I was lucky to be chosen to attend the Anne Frank Symposium in Amsterdam last November, and the directors there encouraged me to donate a million of the bandages to a refugee camp once it is completed. I love that idea! They said they will help me find which refugee camp to take them to."
The Bandage Project was started in 2008 by Sacramento-area teacher Lisa Liss, who wanted to teach her students about the staggering number of children who were killed in the Holocaust. The class came up with the idea of collecting 1.5 million Band-Aids, each printed with the name of a child who died, which they plan to display at the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles upon completion.
Nearly ten years into the project, Liss's effort has garnered 916,255 bandages, but still needs more than half a million to go.
Enter Manhattan Beach MIddle School student Teddy Glozman who heard about the project and decided he wanted to help. "I wanted to teach kids how to be more tolerant to other people, and to teach kids about the Holocaust," he said.
"Through this project we are trying to promote tolerance and teach that hate hurts and tolerance heals," said Liz Glozman. "Band-Aids come in every shape, size and color, just like children, and they promote healing. With this collection, we can become part of something bigger."
Teacher Lisa Liss says that the whole effort has taken longer than expected, but that fact in and of itself has become a learning opportunity. "We thought it would be something that happened quickly, but our average is about 100,000 bandages a year," she said.
Liss added, "I've often been discouraged because it is taking too long, until a manager at the Wal-Mart where I was purchasing the bandages by the caseload gave me hope. He asked why I bought so many bandages. I explained the Bandage Project to him and he said, 'You haven't reached your goal yet because more students need to be a part of it...If you finished it quickly, only one class would be a part, so many classes need to experience this and learn about healing.' Since then, we have hope and I know that hundreds of children are a part of it."
Once the project is complete, the plan is to display the collection at the Museum of Tolerance.
Liss adds: "I was lucky to be chosen to attend the Anne Frank Symposium in Amsterdam last November, and the directors there encouraged me to donate a million of the bandages to a refugee camp once it is completed. I love that idea! They said they will help me find which refugee camp to take them to."
In addition to the Manhattan Beach collection spots, donations to purchase bandages (or bandages themselves) can be sent directly to Liss's project: Tolerance Kids, 700 Southgate Road, Sacramento, CA 95815.
