- November 27, 2024
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Justin Gadrim, Michael Tirpak and John Wilds (Photo by Emily Blackwood)
Michael Tirpak during one of his visits to Guatemala (Courtesy photo).
When Michael Tirpak was on his way to Guatemala, he prayed to God to meet someone who would help him adjust to the unfamiliar territory he was about to see for the first time. On the second day of his trip, he met Matilde.
"She was really special," he said of the young girl. "She was super energetic and really positive. I remember one day we were walking through her community, and the last stop was her house. She didn't want me to see where she lived because she was really poor."
Tirpak said most of his visit was spent around children and people who were happy to see him, and that he didn't see that side of poverty until that moment with Matilde.
"It was really impactful for me to see how she reacted to showing me where she lived," he said. "I was told poverty was going to be this terrible thing, and when I was there, all the kids were having fun and looking happy."
So when Tirpak returned, he knew he wanted to do more. He put together a proposal to raise enough money to build a two-classroom school in Guatemala. For weeks he visited different organizations presenting his idea until he met Justin Gadrim and the rest of the Daytona State College Student Government Association.
"Student government usually does cupcake fundraisers and things like that," Gadrim said. "So here's this guy pitching to us to help him raise $13,000, and the board is looking around at each other like, is he serious?"
After the meeting, Gadrim talked more with Tirpak and realized they both attended Calvary Christian Center in Ormond Beach. Gadrim agreed to be Tirpak's co-chair to help him raise the money through the Bottle School Project. Thanks to money from local rotary clubs and help from their mentor John Wilds, they exceeded their goal and raised $20,000 — enough money to build a three-classroom school, which will serve as an educational platform for thousands of children throughout the next hundred years.
"These guys are pretty smart," said Wilds, the worship leader at Calvary. "They've got a lot figured out, and I just know I believe in them."
Wilds also owns a clothing company, John Wilds Apparel, donated a portion of their proceeds to help fund the boys' cause.
"He's been a really great mentor," Tirpak said.
"I always told them," Wilds said. "The only thanks I need is your success."
