Hoboken’s Calabro School Raises Money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society

Posted on March 8, 2018 in hNOW, News

Calabro Elementary School today announced it had raised $7,496 for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) through its Pennies For Patients Campaign.

LLS is one of the world’s largest non-profit health organization dedicated to finding cures for blood cancers. Its Pennies for Patients program is for elementary and middle schools that would like to support its mission of create a world without cancer by conducting a fundraising campaign.

The activity is also a part of Calabro’s anti-bullying efforts and a way to show kindness to others.

“I am so proud of this extraordinary achievement by our small school of 119 students,” says School Nurse and the Pennies for Patients Coordinator, Celeste Joyce.

“Calabro’s whole school community embraced the initiative – raising money through coin boxes and online fundraising. In addition to students and their families’ efforts, staff spread the word among family and friends, and they responded so generously as well.”

While taking part in the initiative, students also learned about blood cancer through presentations such as, ‘Why Charlie Brown Why? What to do when a friend is ill.’

In this story, Linus helps to dispel some myths that you can’t catch cancer like a cold and comes to his friend’s defense when a bully tears off her cap and shows her bald head from chemo. The students also learn about “Captain Chemo” and how the blood cells are affected by blood-cancers.

“It is one hands-on activity that even the youngest students can participate in and learn from,” says Ms. Joyce.

“We involve the students in making and hanging posters about our collection. Fourth-grade students helped decorate the classroom collection boxes and helped me collect them at the end of every week.”

“Several years ago we adopted a local pre-K student as our Honored Hero. The kindergarten students at the time, now our sixth graders, wrote our hero letters and valentines while she was being treated. At the end of the year, our honored hero came and visited the kindergarten class for their pizza party.”

“I remind students that sometimes it can happen to our friends and neighbors. Every penny counts and everyone can make a difference,” said Ms Joyce.

Tags: Calabro School, Fundraiser