By Caterina Mellinger Columnist
The Lazarex Cancer Foundation recently received $6,000 for cancer research thanks to some tenacious young students at Alamo School.
The kindergarten-through-fifth-grade students participated in a fundraiser to help the organization after hearing about Lazarex through local resident Jeff Dudum, who presented the idea of a fundraiser to the student council. Dudum focused on Alamo School because he had two boys attend there. He also told the students that he knows a family from the San Joaquin County town of Thornton who needed to travel 170 miles round-trip to San Francisco every month for cancer treatments for their young daughter, Nevaeh, and these treks back and forth were made possible with the help of the Lazarex Foundation.
After approving the idea of helping the organization, the school held an assembly to kick off fundraising efforts. The Lazarex Foundation surprised the student body by having part-time Alamo resident and San Francisco Giants pitcher Jeremy Affeldt talk to the students.
Affeldt told them that they were actually his heroes for wanting to raise money for this cause. During the assembly, students learned about Nevaeh and her family and the challenges they faced, which motivated them to do something to help. Thus a coin drive began.
Soon the enthusiastic students emptied their piggy banks, gathered loose change, and some even took on extra chores to fill fundraising boxes, eventually accumulating $6,226. Fourth-grader Joshua Leinenweaver was more than happy to help out.
"I felt really good about the program because we are helping someone in need who is just like us," he said.
The students formally presented the check to the president of Lazarex Cancer Foundation, Dana Dornsife, on April 14. Alamo School teacher Andrea Fettig said she was proud of how the students took on the fundraising challenge.
"Almost immediately we had the students' attention when they found out we were going to be helping a young, 7-year-old girl named Nevaeh and many Student Council members began sharing their own stories of family members, neighbors or friends who have been effected by cancer," said Fettig.
"Given the opportunity to help such a young girl really resonated with the students at Alamo School," said Fettig. "I am also especially proud to see the Student Council members really come together and show the school what positive leaders look like."
Dudum said he also was proud of how the students rallied and was impressed by their enthusiasm. "Observing the children's faces as they watched the video of Nevaeh was truly a memorable moment. They really wanted to make a difference and help," he said. "Students around town and at sporting events came up to me and told me how much money they had raised to help Nevaeh. Priceless life lessons, for sure."
Alamo School Principal Stanley Hitomi echoed those same sentiments. "The experience was an opportunity for our students to learn about the community and our school. It's a skill to care about others and to find a way to take action to make those ideas come true," said Hitomi.
The young philanthropists are looking forward to meeting Nevaeh sometime soon, and their fundraising efforts will continue online at www.crowdrise.com/alamoelementary.
The Lazarex Cancer Foundation aims to improve the outcome of cancer care by giving hope and dignity to patients and the medically underserved by providing assistance with costs for FDA clinical trial participation, identification of clinical trial options, community outreach and education. For more information, go to http://www.lazarex.org. This just goes to show that communities can come together to help those in need and coins really do add up.
The Lazarex Cancer Foundation recently received $6,000 for cancer research thanks to some tenacious young students at Alamo School.
The kindergarten-through-fifth-grade students participated in a fundraiser to help the organization after hearing about Lazarex through local resident Jeff Dudum, who presented the idea of a fundraiser to the student council. Dudum focused on Alamo School because he had two boys attend there. He also told the students that he knows a family from the San Joaquin County town of Thornton who needed to travel 170 miles round-trip to San Francisco every month for cancer treatments for their young daughter, Nevaeh, and these treks back and forth were made possible with the help of the Lazarex Foundation.
After approving the idea of helping the organization, the school held an assembly to kick off fundraising efforts. The Lazarex Foundation surprised the student body by having part-time Alamo resident and San Francisco Giants pitcher Jeremy Affeldt talk to the students.
Affeldt told them that they were actually his heroes for wanting to raise money for this cause. During the assembly, students learned about Nevaeh and her family and the challenges they faced, which motivated them to do something to help. Thus a coin drive began.
Soon the enthusiastic students emptied their piggy banks, gathered loose change, and some even took on extra chores to fill fundraising boxes, eventually accumulating $6,226. Fourth-grader Joshua Leinenweaver was more than happy to help out.
"I felt really good about the program because we are helping someone in need who is just like us," he said.
The students formally presented the check to the president of Lazarex Cancer Foundation, Dana Dornsife, on April 14. Alamo School teacher Andrea Fettig said she was proud of how the students took on the fundraising challenge.
"Almost immediately we had the students' attention when they found out we were going to be helping a young, 7-year-old girl named Nevaeh and many Student Council members began sharing their own stories of family members, neighbors or friends who have been effected by cancer," said Fettig.
"Given the opportunity to help such a young girl really resonated with the students at Alamo School," said Fettig. "I am also especially proud to see the Student Council members really come together and show the school what positive leaders look like."
Dudum said he also was proud of how the students rallied and was impressed by their enthusiasm. "Observing the children's faces as they watched the video of Nevaeh was truly a memorable moment. They really wanted to make a difference and help," he said. "Students around town and at sporting events came up to me and told me how much money they had raised to help Nevaeh. Priceless life lessons, for sure."
Alamo School Principal Stanley Hitomi echoed those same sentiments. "The experience was an opportunity for our students to learn about the community and our school. It's a skill to care about others and to find a way to take action to make those ideas come true," said Hitomi.
The young philanthropists are looking forward to meeting Nevaeh sometime soon, and their fundraising efforts will continue online at www.crowdrise.com/alamoelementary.
The Lazarex Cancer Foundation aims to improve the outcome of cancer care by giving hope and dignity to patients and the medically underserved by providing assistance with costs for FDA clinical trial participation, identification of clinical trial options, community outreach and education. For more information, go to http://www.lazarex.org. This just goes to show that communities can come together to help those in need and coins really do add up.
