Elementary school teachers wearing their Team Tammy tshirts to show support for fellow teacher Tammy Ramey (center, forward facing) who was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Sandy Smith
Students playing knockerball soccer.
Ciara Conley | Daily Times
Students and staff take to the track to show their support for local families battling cancer.
Ciara Conley | Daily Times
Loud, enthusiastic music played through the speakers as hundreds of students filled the South Webster track May 23 for the annual Cancer Walk.
For over 10 years, students from the Bloom-Vernon (South Webster) School District have come together to support those affected by cancer in the Bloom-Vernon.
Junior high and high school students pay $5 to skip out on class and come to the track. Elementary school students also gather donations for the event and classes rotate throughout the day. The students divide into teams of four, one person from each team has to remain on the track at all times.
Other games take place throughout the afternoon, like flag football, cornhole, softball and knockerball games. Knockerballs are inflatable suits that students can wear and like the name suggests, knock into each other without getting hurt.
While the day is light-hearted and fun, students are also taught the importance of giving back and supporting those with cancer.
”It symbolizes that when you have cancer, you never rest, you never get to take a break, everyone supports each other, it effects the entire family not just the person,” explained organizer Kristie Johnson. “All the money that comes in, goes directly back into the community to families that are battling.”
Students and faculty raised $1,754.07 in total through the event this year.
The proceeds will be divide into three donations of $584.69. Part will be given to the Garrett Houston Memorial Scholarship. Houston was a 15 year old student at South Webster who passed away after battling Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Funds will also go towards assisting the families of Madison Brown, a junior who is currently undergoing treatment and Tammy Ramey, an elementary school teacher recently diagnosed with breast cancer.
”We just try to teach our students the importance of giving, we try to stress how taxing it can be for families. Sometimes you have to sacrifice for people you know and care for to help them in a time of need,” said Johnson.
Reach Ciara Conley at 740-981-6977, Facebook “Ciara Conley - Daily Times,” and Twitter @PDT_Ciara.
