Pink Out Pep Rally Benefits Cancer Center |
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Published by the Tallahassee Democrat on October 20th, 2012
By Sean Rossman
By Sean Rossman
Students at Leon High School shouted and screamed Friday morning as they watched classmates throw pies at their teachers' faces .
But these pies were thrown for a good cause.
The Leon High School student body presented a check for over $13,000 to the Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare Foundation at the annual Pink Out Pep Rally at the Leon High School gym.
The money was raised by students through various fundraisers including a Poker Run, a Pink Out volleyball game and a silent auction for parking passes -- and, yes, chances to throw pies at their teachers. The Leon High School community of students, staff and parents have raised over $134,000 since 2006 to fight cancer.
Dean of Students and Athletic Director Mark Feely, who lives with cancer himself, said the hope is to use Breast Cancer awareness month to raise money for one cancer so that, hopefully, that support will domino into support for all types of cancer.
Feely added that the event is important for students to "show the importance of giving back to the community and standing together for a worthy cause."
The school has sponsored many other cancer facilities at TMH over the years as a result of their efforts, including an image recovery room and private infusion room at the new TMH Cancer Center, as well as furnishing an entire cancer wing at TMH. This year the students chose to donate to nursing stations at the TMH Cancer Center.
"I think it's really inspiring and good for the patients when they look on the wall and it says this room or this wing made possible by gifts from students from Leon High School," said Paula Fortunas, President and CEO of the Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare Foundation.
"It just means so much because you actually see kids coming together," said Pepper Baker, a senior at Leon High School and the student body president. "We're not only helping raise money for cancer but we're having fun while we do it."
But these pies were thrown for a good cause.
The Leon High School student body presented a check for over $13,000 to the Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare Foundation at the annual Pink Out Pep Rally at the Leon High School gym.
The money was raised by students through various fundraisers including a Poker Run, a Pink Out volleyball game and a silent auction for parking passes -- and, yes, chances to throw pies at their teachers. The Leon High School community of students, staff and parents have raised over $134,000 since 2006 to fight cancer.
Dean of Students and Athletic Director Mark Feely, who lives with cancer himself, said the hope is to use Breast Cancer awareness month to raise money for one cancer so that, hopefully, that support will domino into support for all types of cancer.
Feely added that the event is important for students to "show the importance of giving back to the community and standing together for a worthy cause."
The school has sponsored many other cancer facilities at TMH over the years as a result of their efforts, including an image recovery room and private infusion room at the new TMH Cancer Center, as well as furnishing an entire cancer wing at TMH. This year the students chose to donate to nursing stations at the TMH Cancer Center.
"I think it's really inspiring and good for the patients when they look on the wall and it says this room or this wing made possible by gifts from students from Leon High School," said Paula Fortunas, President and CEO of the Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare Foundation.
"It just means so much because you actually see kids coming together," said Pepper Baker, a senior at Leon High School and the student body president. "We're not only helping raise money for cancer but we're having fun while we do it."
