Oxford Middle School raised $7,831.14 for the American Cancer Society through its annual week of giving, “penny wars” fund-raiser. OMS Advisory classes paired in team alliances to compete the week of Dec. 9 – 13 for two categories: Total Donations and Total Points.
Here’s how it worked. Each team collected as many pennies as they could outside of school to donate. Then, for ten minutes a day, teams were able to disrupt each other by contaminating other classrooms’ penny buckets with silver coins: nickels, dimes, and quarters. Each silver coin deducted points from that team, but added to their total donations.
The alliance of Rebecca McCuster and Cassandra McNeil’s advisory classes won first place for total points with 55,175. Jason Cady and Josh Smokovitz’s advisory classes won first place for total donations with $1,757.55.
This was the second year in a row the Cady and Smokovitz alliance won. Last year, as a gimmick they promised if their classes won, they would spend the entire night camped out on the OMS roof – in January. They did, and they broadcasted the entire thing live on YouTube. The video now has over 125,000 views. They plan to do it again on Jan. 16.
Students voted to donate the money this year to the American Cancer Society, which funds scientific research into causes of and treatments for cancer. A giant $7,510.14 check was presented to Kim Fix, a representative from the American Cancer Society, at a Dec. 20 assembly.
According to Fix, the money raised “will help the American Cancer . . . lead the fight for a world without cancer.”
During a moment of silence, students and staff held signs representing loved ones who have been affected by cancer. Last year, Oxford Middle School lost one of its own students, Brayden Andrews, to liver cancer. A banner quoting Brayden’s favorite saying “keep on keeping on” was displayed in his honor. Brayden’s parents spoke, expressing their gratitude to the Wildcat community for their support.
“We are so proud of those kids for making a difference in so many lives including ours,” Brayden’s mother, Lisa Andrews later said. “Brayden would be so proud of them also. ‘Keep on Keeping on’ is what he would say and that’s what these kids are doing.”
Over the past five years, OMS has raised over $36,000 for charities. In previous years they have donated to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the Wounded Warrior Project, and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.