In February, WJ participates in a fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS). As March rolls in, WJ’s annual Pennies 4 Patients (P4P) campaign comes to a close. With a total of eight events, and four fundraisers, the outcome was a success. This year’s SGA had a great plan for what to do, and with the entire school‘s support for their efforts, the campaign was very helpful for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Over the past 10 years, WJ has raised $352,350.75 through Pennies for Patients, and has continually placed in the top ten in the national rankings for funds raised.
To kick off the month-long fundraiser on Feb. 6, WJ hosted 2.GLO, a school dance, which brings in the most supporters every year. Following this was WJ Thrift, during which students could come to the student commons at lunch and after school to buy used or new clothing for a bargain price. Next up was WJ Family Feud, where students created teams of five and competed in their version of the popular game show. After this was WJ Bachelor and Bachelorette, which let students bid on other students for their talents and win the chance to go on a date with them. Next was WJ Kids Night, when parents dropped off their elementary-aged children, for a night of family-friendly fun for the kids and a night off for the parents. One of the more popular events is WJ Pong for Pennies 4 Patients (PPP), a water pong tournament where pairs of students dressed up in costumes and competed against other students. The second-to-last event was a brand new one called Cats 4 the Cure Fest, a music festival hosted at WJ that featured several up-and-coming artists. Last but not least, the finale of the fundraiser was WJ Clash of the Classes, another new event. Each and every grade level competed in various athletic events, such as dodgeball and soccer.
Jackson Miller, a senior and member of the Leadership class, went to every event this year and is a big supporter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
“This year’s P4P was amazing! I’m so proud of the leadership class in what we accomplished and I hope that next years leadership class will keep the ball rolling,” Miller said.
Overall, Pennies for Patients was a great success this year because the Wildcats gave it all they had.
