This year, Coronado’s Student Council is holding a fundraiser for Pennies for Patients, where you have the power to help change the future for someone in need!

The goal of Pennies for Patients, according to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, is to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. Two years ago, LLS invested $40.3 million to research for these illnesses. LLS aims to spread education and information about blood cancer across the U.S., working towards the ability for blood cancer patients to have affordable and coordinated care.

As many may know, federal funding for blood cancer research and treatment has come to quite a standstill, though all types of cancers are still very much a climbing issue. Where there is thin spread assistance from the government, charities and organizations try their hardest to fill in the gaps.

That’s where Coronado can help! When banded together, Coronado has the ability to raise enough funds to possibly help someone who may be in dire need of assistance, and hopefully change someone’s life for the better.

Mrs. Chappelear, the coordinator of Student Council, wants to keep Student Council helping Coronado’s community, and she knows this is one of the great ways to help! “Each semester we try to have a community service project.This money goes towards research to help those diagnosed with leukemia/lymphoma.  We worked with the Leukemia/Lymphoma society before and wanted to work with them again. Student council members have boxes that they are carrying around to collect donations, and they will be accepted at the tournament and teams pay an entry fee.”

In completing this generous event, Mrs. Chappelear has been able to look at last year’s Pennies for Patients outcome, and set a new, even better goal to help those who are in need. “Last year we raised $1500. We always try to set a goal higher than the previous year, and so we’ve set a goal for $3000.”

In an effort to help along the cause, Mr. Stoughton has been recruiting teachers to join him in a head-shaving fund-raising extravaganza.  Stoughton recently lost a nephew to leukemia and has no love for the disease.  “His name was Caleb.  He was a senior this year, but he spent almost the last six months of his life in the hospital.  When he was alive, he was very alive.  He was the first male cheerleader at his school and won a state championship with them.  He ran the hurdles and threw the shot on the track team.  He played French horn in a top-in-state band.  He was a black belt in taekwondo.  He was just an amazing kid and I am pretty upset with leukemia for taking him.  Anything I can do to help, I will.”

Stoughton and his band of soon-to-be-bald allies, Mr. Trendelman, Mr. Edmund, and Mr. Bone, and even Mr. Smith (along with possibly others) will be going bald this spring if the school can raise the $3000.  He says that many students will likely jump at the chance to make him look silly, but it’s all for a good cause.

Through these simple acts of kindness, we may be able to help improve the lives of others. Many in the Coronado population have been affected by cancer in many different ways, and we feel it’s important to not only honor those we may have lost, but to help whoever we can. That’s why Coronado’s organizations – like Student Council – that donate to different parts of the community, are extremely important. Coronado wants to make sure everyone has access to opportunities and resources, so why not try and help out wherever you can?

Remember to donate to Pennies for Patients when you have the chance!