A Summer of Service: Firebird Liam Halback Launches Venezuela Strong

For PRS student Liam Halback, summer became an opportunity to turn concern into action.

After twin earthquakes struck Venezuela on June 24, Liam, a 15-year-old rising sophomore, learned that members of his own family had been displaced. Seeing the images of the destruction and thinking about families who had suddenly lost their homes left him wanting to find a meaningful way to help.

That desire created Venezuela Strong, a student-led effort Liam launched to raise awareness and funds for people affected by the earthquakes. Through this initiative, Liam sells branded trucker hats, with proceeds supporting World Central Kitchen's emergency meal efforts in Venezuela.

Turning an idea into action

Like many service projects, Venezuela Strong began with a simple concept and then evolved as Liam encountered challenges. 

His original plan was to sell stickers outside local markets and donate the proceeds to World Central Kitchen. He soon discovered that fundraising at local businesses required permits, creating delays at a moment when he felt there was an urgent need to help.

Liam reconsidered his approach, drawing inspiration from an expression his late Venezuelan grandfather, Simon Russo, often shared with him: "Échale pichón." Liam describes the phrase as meaning more than simply trying your best—it means giving something everything you have.

That spirit shaped the rest of his summer project.

Liam began thinking about something people could use and share wherever they went. He landed on trucker hats: practical for summer, but also visible enough to spark conversations and keep attention focused on Venezuela after the immediate news coverage faded. He designed a collection of Venezuela Strong hats, created an online Shopify store and integrated the site with ShoppingGives so the campaign’s proceeds could support World Central Kitchen.

His goal is ambitious: raise $1 million for Venezuela, one hat at a time.

For Liam, however, the project is about more than fundraising. Each hat is an opportunity to start a conversation, build awareness and show solidarity with people experiencing a crisis thousands of miles away. As he put it, “You don’t have to be Venezuelan to care.”

Service Beyond the School Year

Liam’s summer work reflects an approach to service that is central to the Pacific Ridge experience: identifying a need, taking initiative and finding a way to make a meaningful difference.

At Pacific Ridge, Service Learning emphasizes student-directed action, encouraging students to lead projects driven by their interests and passions while responding to the needs they see in their communities. That same spirit inspired the school’s 52 Weeks of Service initiative, which encourages members of the entire PRS community to make service an ongoing practice throughout the year.

The initiative challenges our community to complete 52 service projects, reflecting the 52 weeks of the year and the idea that individual acts of service can collectively make a significant impact. It also invites students, families, faculty, staff, board members, and alumni to participate—demonstrating that caring for our community is something we can practice wherever we are.

Learn More and Get Involved

Venezuela Strong
Learn more about Liam’s project and the campaign to support World Central Kitchen at VenezuelaStrong.com, or follow @venezuela_strong on Instagram.

52 Weeks of Service at Pacific Ridge
Learn more about Pacific Ridge School’s 52 Weeks of Service initiative, including how members of the PRS community can participate and share their service projects: 52 Weeks of Service at PRS.