Unique South Tahoe High fundraiser helps basketball teams and needy children

Many of us have contributed to local school sports teams by buying candy bars, raffle tickets or attending fundraiser dinners, but how many of us have bought soap for ourselves, provided for a needy child in Africa at the same time we're also supporting the teams?

John Cefalu, a 2013 graduate of South Tahoe High and current Chapman University student, created the non-profit, Health 2 Humanity (H2H) when he was just an 18-year-old freshman who wanted to leave the world a better place. From its humble beginnings in a dorm room, H2H now provides soap to underprivileged children in Kenya and Africa.

Cefalu, whose dad Joby is the varsity basketball coach at STHS where his brother Tommy plays forward and guard, found a way for everyone to benefit from a fundraiser.

"This fundraiser is a way for the kids on the team to be part of something that is so much bigger than just basketball," said Cefalu. "These kids are literally going to be bringing Christmas to a village in Uganda that has never experienced a gift on Christmas morning."

For a $24.99 contribution, you receive two bars of H2H soap and the picture of a child receiving your gift. With that donation you give 1 Christmas present to an orphan along with 4 bars of soap to a child in Africa, and, the basketball team receives 50% of the donation. You even get to choose why type of present to give from teddy bear to a book.

While Cefalu and H2H haven't done a fundraiser like this before, they did offer a holiday bundle last year that benefited the Tumaini Children's Home, an orphanage in Kenya where 175 kids received gifts.

Cefalu's company has been busy since inception.

"We have donated over 15,000 bars of soap since May 2014, started vocational programs in 9 different locations, created 13 jobs and $10,000 in economic investment in these locations, helped create a sustainable business environment saving over $1200 in each location of hygiene products alone, and bringing in sales revenue internationally to sustain the programs," said Cefalu. "We have also eradicated skin rashes and irritations in each location, and cut illness rates by over 25% in our first two locations (we still need to measure our other locations). We will also be starting up another location this Winter in the same village that STHS is helping us bring Christmas."

Cefalu plans on graduated from Chapman in December of 2016 with a degree in Business Administration with emphasis in International Business and Marketing and a Minor in Economics. He then plans on receiving a Masters in Business Administration one year later.

Health 2 Humanity is his career, not just a passing charitable effort.

"It is something that I am so passionate about, and we are making incredible turns domestically to sustain the program," said Cefalu. "We are going to continue to grow internationally and help as many orphanages and villages as we possibly can! There is nothing more satisfying than creating relationships with people from around the world to collaborate on ways to make this world a better place."

To donate to STHS basketball and help children in need:

Support STHS Boys Basketball HERE

Support STHS Girls Basketball HERE