SHS Elementary Students Raise Record Levels For St. Jude

Sacred Heart elementary students continue the tradition of helping to save lives through the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Math-A-Thon.

This year, 74 students participated in the Math-A-Thon to raise a new record $15,820.00 --- all of which goes directly to St. Jude.

Sacred Heart School has participated in the Math-A-Thon fundraiser since 1987 when former teacher and assistant principal, Mrs. Bonnie Diefendorf, brought this service project to the school.  Within that time, its students have raised over $213,820 for the children at St. Jude battling cancer and other terminal diseases.

Participants of the Math-A-Thon completed a digital Funbook filled with math problems to complete. They also found family and friends to sponsor their participation in the program.  St. Jude rewarded students with T-shirts and prizes depending on the amount of money raised through the fundraising effort. In the interest of securing additional revenue for St. Jude, some students opted out of receiving their prizes.

The St. Jude Math-A-Thon – America’s largest education-based fundraiser – is a supplemental math education program for kindergarten through eighth grade that also raises funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Treatments invented at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20 percent to more than 80 percent since the hospital opened more than 50 years ago. Participation in the St. Jude Math-A-Thon helps ensure that families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food.

In the photo: Pictured with the faculty coordinators are the five top earners. From left: front row - Finlee Hout ($900), Lorelei Grose ($900), Braelynn Bloess ($645), Harper Darbyshire ($1,580), Birkli Martin ($2,175)  Back row - Mrs. Jeannine Dove and Ms. Sarah Kramer --Submitted