CHS LifeJackets raise $494.32
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[The Chester High School LifeJackets participated in the 2010 Pennies for Patients Campaign sponsored by the Gateway Chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. It was the 18th Annual event and CHS was asked to participate.
Over the past 17 years schools across Eastern Missouri, Southern Illinois and the entire state of Arkansas have worked together to raise more than 3 million dollars to help fight the battle against leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma. The 2009 campaign raised over $290,000.00 thanks to the 355 schools that participated in the February - May initiative.
2010 was the first year that Chester High School was asked to participate and the LifeJackets accepted the challenge. Collection boxes were placed in the home rooms throughout the school, and students and teachers were challenged to compete to see which room could raise the most money to fight cancer.
The program kicked off February 1, 2010 and ran throughout the entire month of February. Each home room was offered the incentive of a pizza party to the home room that collected the most money. At the end of the program two classes stood above the rest. Mr. Bell's home room raised $162.10 and Mrs. Hennrich's class raised $159.40. Both will be rewarded with a pizza party.
All total 19 home rooms participated in the challenge. Collection amounts ranged from $162.10 to $0.02. The total raised by Chester High School was $494.32. The top-10 classes included Bell ($162.10); Hennrich ($159.40); Stallman ($39.55); Oglesby (20.47); Blechle ($20.36); DeLeon ($16.86); Meyer ($13.85); Ray ($13.04); Coop ($10.22) and Colvis ($7.98).
CHS senior LifeSaver, Amy Araiza served as the Chairperson for this project while all of the LifeJackets assisted her with the administration of the month-long event. Jennifer Schroeder, Campaign manager for School and Youth Programs for the Gateway Chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society personally thanked CHS for the generous donation and sent a certificate of appreciation to the LifeJackets for their efforts.
Dr. Jim Beers, LifeJackets Sponsor, stated, "I am very proud of the LifeJackets for their dedication to helping fight the fight against leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's Disease and myeloma. The entire school and all of the teachers and staff pitched in to raise the $494.32 for the 2010 Pennies for Patients Campaign. Hopefully we have helped to treat or diagnose a needy patient suffering with the dreadful cancerous diseases. Once again, CHS has stepped up to the challenge!"