ST. MARYS - Students, faculty and staff at St. Marys Area Middle School eclipsed their fundraising goal in the fight against childhood cancer during their Mini-THON event.
Now in its third year the event raised $18,281, well over their $10,000 goal. This does not reflect a donation from the St. Marys Dairy Queen from a Blizzard sale yesterday afternoon with proceeds being donated in honor of Reggie Housler, a St. Marys toddler undergoing cancer treatment.
“We are so overwhelmed with the community support and with the amount of help our school family has given us,” said SMAMS teachers Beth Penn and Dana Smith co-organizers of the event which they started two years ago. “It’s amazing to see all of our students come together for a common goal and to watch their excitement and pride when they see what they have accomplished.”
Students raised money through basket raffles, THON gear purchases, concession stand purchases, online donor drives, and envelope collections.
The day began with the fundraising total at $7,768 and by 10 a.m. hit $10,000. In its first year the school surpassed their original fundraising goal of $1,500 by raising over four times that amount of $7,000. Last year’s goal of $7,500 was also well surpasses as students raised $12,237.25.