Edmond North students raised $212,748 during BALTO Week! This number would not have been possible without the students’ countless hours put in and the support from the Edmond community. The money raised will benefit the Wings Organization. Wings directly impacts 48 adults with developmental disabilities five days a week through independent living skills and indirectly through 300 plus food insecure and homeless people served a hot meal every week. Learn more about the Wings Organization.

BALTO, standing for Bring A Light To Others is our annual philanthropy week at Edmond North. Since its origin in 1995, BALTO has raised over 4 million dollars for charities serving all kinds of needs. We have helped charities serving child cancer victims, brain tumor patients, special education students, premature babies, and several other worthy causes. This magnificent event enables our whole student body and the community of Edmond to come together to work towards the goal of helping others. Every year, North's students take part in various activities and events before and during BALTO week.

The tradition of BALTO Week began at Edmond North High School in 1995. This is North’s most significant tradition and is held highly as the most exciting and meaningful work of the year! Not only is this a week full of fun and excitement, but also an opportunity for our school to give back to the community.  

In 1995, the Student Council Leadership Class wanted to create a charity week. The name BALTO is an acronym quite fitting to our school: Bring A Light To Others.  It is also conveniently the name of a well-known husky.  The 1925 husky sled dog, Balto, was the lead dog in delivering an important serum to Nome, Alaska to prevent diphtheria from spreading to all the young people. He makes BALTO even more suitable considering a mighty husky is our mascot.  Bringing A Light To Others is exactly what this week is all about. We, united in our efforts, bring a light to the lives of our recipients. 

Since 1995, North has raised over two million dollars for BALTO recipients. We have raised money for child cancer patients, brain tumor patients, special education students,  premature babies, local schools, and many more worthy causes. It has been an honor that our school has chosen to do so much good for the lives of others in need within our very own community. BALTO Week is a week full of all sorts of exciting student-led activities. All of its events and activities are done strictly for the benefit of our recipient. Activities such as assemblies during school, night activities (dances, movie nights, etc.), Northstock (battle of the bands), sales (t-shirts, pizza, sweets, etc.), collecting money at school, and much more are all done in efforts to fundraise for our recipient. A day does not go on during this week without something planned that benefits BALTO. 

When BALTO Week was first initiated in 1995, North’s goal was set at $5,000. This money was raised to help a teacher with cancer. Seven years later, the goal was set at $55,000 for BALTO 2001. Not only did we meet that goal of $55,000, but we far exceeded it by raising over $81,000! Come 2007, we raised over $140,000. In 2008 we raised over $187,000 for Make-A-Wish, it was the single largest donation Make-A-Wish had ever received, As you can see, BALTO is growing and gets better as the years progress. New traditions are added every year and changes are made in order to help continue the amazing success. We are confident that each year BALTO will be even better than it was the previous year, and the trend of growth will continue.

BALTO will be a tradition that lasts forever at Edmond North High School. BALTO changes the lives of all those who participate; not just those of the recipients, but the students, teachers and parents as well, for BALTO touches everyone. BALTO reaches beyond Edmond North. It lasts for years to come in the lives of those we helped and the lives of those who saw the good done. Anyone who has ever participated in any aspect of BALTO would agree that it will forever have an impact. 

BALTO Week is a tradition.

BALTO Week changes lives. 

BALTO Week is INCREDIBLE! 

It truly does "Bring A Light To Others."

Brian Hunter
Student Council Sponsor
(405) 726-7205
brian.hunter@edmondschools.net