On April 4, Cherry Hill Public Schools celebrated a milestone for one of its largest fundraisers.
Teams from all 18 schools battled in the Cherry Hill High School East gym at the 10th annual Volley for Support. Proceeds from this year’s fundraiser will go to the National MPS Society, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and Devereux New Jersey.
Steve and Kim Redfearn both work in the school district. Steve is a physical education teacher at Cooper and Kingston elementary schools, while Kim is a first-grade teacher at Knight Elementary. Together, they have worked to organize and run this fundraiser each year.
The event was first organized in 2005, shortly after a tsunami struck off the Indian Ocean in Asia. The school district wanted to have a fundraiser to donate money to the Red Cross and help victims of the disaster.
“When the tsunami happened 10 years ago, the district asked us if we could come up with a fundraiser,” Kim said.
The first Volley for Support wasn’t a district-wide event. Only six of the district’s schools participated and the event was held at Carusi Middle School. However, the fundraiser was successful and the teachers enjoyed it so much, more schools wanted to get involved. Volley for Support became one of the school’s biggest annual events.
“Even the next year, it wasn’t everybody,” Kim said. “By the third year, however, we had everybody involved.”
The event is not just a fundraiser, but also a competitive, intra-district staff volleyball tournament. Teams representing all schools as well as the administration building vie for trophies in a single-elimination tournament. This year, Cherry Hill High School West took home the first-place prize.
The spirit of competition helps to boost the event. Students come out with signs and cheer on their teachers during the matches.
Kim said each school also fundraises in its own way. Some schools have pied teachers or done human ice cream sundaes to encourage the students to raise money. The fundraising continues through the end of the school year, adding to the proceeds raised at the event.
Since the first year, the event has grown in many different ways. The district has seen an increase in attendance as well as volunteer help. From gift baskets raffled off at the event to the food, everything is donated by the schools, teachers and PTAs.
“The community comes out in droves to the event,” Kim said. “I have to give kudos to the teachers for organizing everything and getting everything ready.”
In past years, the money raised through the event would go toward one organization. This year, however, three different groups were picked. Kim said they were unable to choose between the three.
“Each different cause dealt with children in some way,” she said.
This year, 70 percent of the funds will go to the National MPS Society, and 15 percent each will go to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and Devereux New Jersey.
The proceeds raised from Volley for Support have totaled approximately $118,000 over the past 10 years. Since 2007, the fundraiser has brought in at least $10,000 each year, with the highest amount coming in 2011, when $24,000 was raised for Build Jake’s Place.
Fundraising for this year’s organizations will continue through the end of the school year. Kim said some of the schools continue to have fundraising events in May and June during their field days. Overall, Steve said the district expects to raise approximately $17,000 by June 30, which would be the second highest amount in a single year.
