When math teacher Kathy Shortelle and assistant director of admissions Betsy Metcalfe of St. Edward’s Middle School decided to hold a fundraiser to benefit VNA Hospice, they started with a lofty goal of $1,500. Little did they know the school’s sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade students would more than double that amount, raising more than $3,900 to support programs for patients facing life-limiting illnesses in our community.
The students began learning about hospice care in mid-November, when Metcalfe’s seventh-grade character education class visited the VNA’s Hospice House for a tour and presentation by hospice house manager Linda Travers and home team patient care manager Wright Kunkle. Travers and Kunkle followed up with a presentation for all of the Middle School students on Nov. 20, and the following week the students began their month-long fundraiser, competing against each other in teams. Rather than organizing the fundraiser for the students, St. Edward’s faculty left it to the students to think up creative ways to earn money. Some held bake sales. Others washed cars or did errands for neighbors.
The top two teams, headed by teachers Ana Beindorf and Beth Sloss, received a pizza party. “Both of the winning teams were from the sixth grade, and both had 100 percent participation,” Beindorf said. “Every student contributed something.” Sloss agreed, saying, “The students were great about reminding each other to participate, and they were all very competitive about reaching the goal.”
The money donated by the students will be used to purchase mobility chairs, slide mats, and other supplies for the VNA Hospice House. And, due to the success of the program, St. Edward’s hopes to make the fundraiser an annual event.
