Kiwanis Club Donates $2,000 to Phoenixville Physics Team

Traveling halfway across the world can’t be cheap, and some local organizations are chipping in to help some high school students pay for the trip that will put them in the midst of one of the biggest science competitions in the world.

The Kiwanis Club of Phoenixville recently presented a check for $2,000 to members of the Phoenixville Area High School Physics Team. The PAHS Physics Team will be the only team representing the United States at the International Youth Physicists Tournament in Thailand this summer. The Kiwanis Club’s donation will help defray travel expenses for the team.

“The Kiwanis Club is extremely proud of the PAHS Physics Team and this tremendous honor which they have earned,” said representatives from the club in a statement. “This financial donation is part of the Kiwanis Club’s on-going support for children and youth of the Phoenixville area.”

The team is currently working on a set of questions they need to experiment and answer before presenting the findings at the tournament from June 27 to July 4 at Suranaree University of Technology in Nakhon Ratchasima.

A GoFundMe page has also been set up by the team, seeking to reach the goal of $15,000 to help pay for airfare and lodging in Thailand. Donations are tax deductible and go through the Phoenixville Community Education Foundation.

Photo (left to right): Kiwanis member George Mansur, Physics Team members Karl Sewick, David Nascari, John Luckowski, Brian Tu, Andrew Mangabat and Kiwanis President Jack Ertell. Because of participation in other extracurricular activities, advisor Jay Jennings and other members of the Physics Team were unavailable for the photograph.