Hingham HS Secretary Continues To Fight Cancer With Daffodil Days

This year, Hingham High School had it’s most successful "Daffodil Days" C=campaign ever.

With the help of students, faculty, staff and parents, Hingham High School raised over $2,500 for the American Cancer Society by purchasing daffodils,  more than doubling their total from last year.

The high school raised $2,785 from sales and donations, compared to the $1,300 they raised last year and the $835 they raised in 2010. 

“Daffodil Days," is a nation-wide program  designed to sell daffodils to raise money for cancer research and to support cancer victims and their families. 

secretary Monica Black coordinated the campaign, which ran from the beginning of January to the end of February.

Black took a special interest in the campaign because her son Ian was a cancer patient as a child and was treated at the Children’s Hospital Boston with a brain tumor.  Ian, now 25 has been cancer free for 23 years, but his mother will not stop giving back to the cancer organizations because she knows what it feels like to have a family member with the disease.

Black has been coordinating this campaign since she worked at the several years ago. This is now her third year organizing it at the high school and it has been growing each year.

Black said she raised more money this year by opening the sales up to students and parents.  The past two years the daffodil sales were only geared towards Hingham High School faculty and staff.

Black helped exceed the school’s goal of $1,500 by campaigning through emails, announcements and by creating a  bulletin board in the main entrance of the school, which  listed facts about cancer and the American Cancer Society.

The high school community had the option of purchasing bouquet bunches for $10, potted bulbs for $15, Bear and a Bunch for $25, and various gifts of hope for $25, $50, $100, $250 or any amount of their choosing. 

According to Black, daffodils are the first flower of spring and represent a symbol of hope for cancer patients.

 “The flowers were a big hit,” Black said. “Everyone wants to see a little bit of Spring in the middle of March.”

Black said she was “very pleased’ by this year’s campaign and she hopes the daffodils bring a smile to everyone’s face.

The daffodils will be delivered to Hingham High School the week of March 19.  Students can pick up their daffodils in the high school's main office.