Twins Raise Funds for ‘Ambassadorial’ Trip
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Joann and Talolo Lepale, 16-year-old twins selected to tour Europe and Moscow as part of the People to People High School Ambassador Program, have raised the $8,000 needed for their summer trip, just making their May 10 deadline.
The twins have spent the last four months raising money for the 31-day trip, said their mother, Yonneta Lepale. They collected cans and newspapers, held a carwash and a yard sale. They also sent out 110 letters to clubs and organizations in the San Gabriel Valley asking for donations.
Pledges came in from neighbors, local doctors, pharmacists, shop owners, and their friends and co-workers. The largest donation came from the American Legion.
The Lepale twins, juniors at Bassett High School, were selected on the basis of their academic achievement, community involvement and recommendations from teachers and counselors. The People to People program is a nonprofit organization founded during the Dwight D. Eisenhower Administration to encourage international student exchange.
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