This year the schools reached their fundraising goal of $1,158.00.
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society recently acknowledged students from the Archway Schools as one of the top fundraising schools in New Jersey for the Pennies for Patients student series fundraising program.
This year, Archway’s Upper and Lower Schools joined forces to raise money and support the cause. Together, the schools reached their fundraising goal by raising a total of $1,158.00, all of which will go toward helping local cancer patients beat their disease and support blood cancer research.
While raising funds, Archway students also raised awareness about service and philanthropy. This is the seventh year that Archway’s Upper School has participated and the first year that the Lower School has joined in supporting the fight against blood cancer.
The fundraiser took place throughout the month of May and the school received special recognition from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society this past week for their participation and continued support in the Student Series fundraiser.
Staff members from each of the schools had Pennies for Patients coordinators who were in charge of organizing the fundraising activities. This year’s Pennies for Patients Coordinators from Archway’s Upper and Lower schools were crucial to the program’s success and their commitment to getting the students involved was inspiring for all to see.
A special thanks to Careers Coach and Horticulture Instructor Kristine Henle-Blank,
Lower School Administrative Assistant Sandy Goc and Lower School Paraprofessional Caitlin Lemma, for volunteering extra time out of their busy schedules and acting as this year’s Pennies for Patients coordinators.
“Our kids have been through a lot and are often the ones getting help,” Henle-Blank said. “Hearing other people’s stories of battling cancer I think was really eye opening for them. This was certainly a unique character-building program for all of our students as they learned how they could impact others and demonstrate compassion. The more they learned, the more the students became personally invested in the cause. To get to see the students so inspired, wanting to do something for someone else and truly help others was a completely humbling experience.”
In addition, the Archway Schools successfully completed the Pasta for Pennies program, which awards the top fundraising classroom with a celebration party including a pasta lunch, donated by the Olive Garden. Brett Tullo, Upper School Teacher and his students from Room 22 were awarded a Bronze Pennant level celebration party that includes an Olive Garden lunch for students and staff members.
However, rather than having the Olive Garden celebratory lunch for their hard work, students generously decided to forgo the lunch and donate it to someone who needed it more than they did.
“I feel confident that this fundraiser has taught my students and others at Archway how to give back and I hope this lesson sticks with them throughout their lifetime,” Tullo said. “Our students were so inspired being in a position to help others. My students all agreed that doing things for others is not only a good thing to do, but it also makes us feel good, as it connects us to others, creating stronger communities and helping to build a happier society for everyone.”
Students and staff from each school participated in a variety of activities to raise money. Archway students collected donations, change, including bringing in their own piggybanks, to support The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society fundraiser.
The Upper School held a “Car Wash for A Cause” event for Archway staff members and a “Dine & Donate” event at the on-campus Owl’s Nest Café to help the schools reach their fundraising goal. Students at Archway’s Lower School had a “Penny War Against Cancer” event where students brought in change to vote for the staff members that they wanted to see get wrapped with toilet paper.
Lower School Principal Mike Graff, Physical Therapist Rich Lamazares and Swim Instructor Silvio DiCristo had the most votes.
DiCristo told students that if fifty dollars were raised, he would also take a pie in the face. Lamazares and Graff jumped on board as well and since students met their goal, they earned the opportunity to pie the teachers in the face.
Students and staff from both schools are already thinking of ideas to support next year’s fundraiser to raise more money and inspire even more people in the community as it did for them.
Archway Programs has two schools serving special needs children, teens and young adults throughout New Jersey ages three through twenty-one years old. The Lower School has been in operation since the early 1960s and the Upper School was established in the early 1970s. Both schools are located in Waterford and Evesham Townships.
