Notre Dame Prep Senior Rallies Classmates and Rochester Businesses in Toy Drive for Kids at UM C.S.

Notre Dame Prep Senior Rallies Classmates and Rochester Businesses in Toy Drive for Kids at UofM C.S. Mott Children's Hospital

Student-run Cancer Awareness Club marks Childhood Cancer Awareness Month with a grade-vs.-grade competition and community-wide drive. Toys will be delivered to Mott on Sept. 29.

PONTIAC, Mich. — Sept. 25, 2026 — Throughout September, Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, Notre Dame Preparatory School senior Sofia Neubauer and the Cancer Awareness Club at NDP are collecting new toys for young patients at University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor. Sofia will deliver the donations to the hospital on Tuesday, Sept. 29.

Sofia founded the Cancer Awareness Club during her freshman year to educate classmates about cancer and support patients and families affected by the disease. The student-run club now organizes awareness campaigns, fundraisers and volunteer projects throughout the year.

To build excitement for this year's drive, which began Sept. 1, Sofia turned it into a friendly competition between grade levels at Notre Dame Prep. The grade that donates the most toys wins a pizza party, sponsored by a local Rochester, MI, business, SFL Companies.

Sofia also took the drive beyond the school. She met with businesses in the greater Rochester community to ask them to contribute, which has generated roughly 100 toy donations and has built a strong bond within the community.

"Kids fighting cancer spend so much time in the hospital, and a new toy can make a hard day a little easier. When I started this club as a freshman, I wanted to show that you don't have to be an adult to make a real difference. Volunteering has taught me that small acts of kindness add up, especially when a whole community comes together," said Sofia Neubauer, founder and president of the Cancer Awareness Club at NDP.

About the Cancer Awareness Club at NDP
The Cancer Awareness Club at Notre Dame Preparatory School in Pontiac, Michigan, is a 100% student-run organization founded in 2023. It is dedicated to raising awareness of cancer, educating students about the challenges faced by patients and families, and supporting the cancer community through fundraisers, donations and volunteer work. Learn more at thecancerawarenessclubinfo.com.