Music boomed through the walls in Gym 2 as students participated in a charity walk for The Eliminate Project. The event was hosted by Key Club in order to jumpstart the club’s efforts in fundraising to help eliminate maternal and neonatal tetanus (MNT).

The activity took place on Nov. 28 during eighth period.

The Eliminate Project was founded by UNICEF and Kiwanis International (Key Club) in 2010 as an effort to reduce the number of deaths resulting from tetanus. Tetanus, a common disease in developing countries, occurs due to infections from bacteria spores and can easily be prevented  given proper hygiene.

The Eliminate Project is not limited to just Jefferson. Key Clubs and UNICEF clubs all over the world participate in this service effort, and the money is collected by various districts. In 2011, the Capital District, composed of clubs in Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C., raised about $1 million for the project. This year, the plan is to raise $100 million.

“Participation was small last year,” junior Matt Wattendorf, Key Club vice president, said. “This is the first year we’ve had this walk, and we hope to raise much more money for this cause.”