Staples High School Student Creates Fundraiser to Help Protect the Environment

Sophie Guiduli, a junior at Staples High School and a self-taught portrait artist, has created a fundraiser for Save the Sound, a nonprofit organization that protects Long Island Sound and the environment.

Sophie is raising funds by offering to draw portraits of residents who similarly recognize the importance of the Sound in our community and want to support Save the Sound’s conservation efforts. Supporters can email Sophie (sguidulifundraiser@gmail.com) a photo of themselves or someone they love and she will draw their portrait. Sophie’s goal is both to raise money for Save the Sound and increase awareness for its mission to protect the environment.

Sophie has set up a GoFundMe page for supporters to donate to this 501(c)3 non-profit environmental cause where all proceeds go to Save the Sound. Here is the link to her fundraiser: https://gf.me/u/yysjvb

Sophie doesn’t know how many supporters will send in photos so she will choose from the photos emailed to her and draw as many portraits as she possibly can. After Sophie has drawn the portrait, she will then email an image back to the supporter asking for permission to display the image on the Facebook page she has created for this project. Here

As Sophie says, “Growing up in Westport and as someone who loves the outdoors, the Sound is a place of beauty and tranquility. During this pandemic, the Sound has become a safe place where so many people in my community gather (socially distanced) and remember the beauty of nature and that life will at some point return to normal.”

Sophie is encouraging supporters to share with her their personal statements about the importance to them of the Long Island Sound. Her goal is to create a virtual community around the role that the Sound plays in our area.  Sophie says, “As the Save the Sound 2020 Report Card states, the water in the Sound is in bad shape in several areas and needs our help. Now is the time to get busy and save our much loved natural resource.”

Sophie is also looking to find a vacant storefront in town where a local commercial landlord will allow her to display the portraits in the storefront window, along with statements by supporters about the Sound, to create a public art space. When the exhibition is over, she will coordinate with those whose portraits she has drawn to ensure that they receive them.  

Sophie also says, “In this time of social distancing, we are all feeling the loss of community and I’m hoping in my small way to bring people together and be thankful for the beauty of nature that the Sound brings to us, and to find ways to support efforts to restore the health of our waters.”