Avondale students turn classroom assignment into fundraiser

Cindie DeWolf from the American Heart Association (AHA) was on hand this week to accept a donation from Avondale Middle School students who raised $938.25 by hosting a Dodge Ball Tournament. DeWolf, who supervises youth fundraising efforts around Oakland County for AHA was impressed by the efforts of the students who are members of the school’s leadership class. “What struck me first was that this event was organized and run completely by a team of eighth graders. I was also impressed that the students were excited not only about the fundraising but also about raising awareness within their school community about heart health. It seemed important to them that what they were doing would have a lasting impact on their classmates.”

The tournament, sponsored by four leadership class students, originated as an assignment. In order to successfully complete the class, students must select a cause important to them and then research ways that they can enhance the efforts of other supporters of that cause. Students in the class work on all kinds of projects ranging from helping senior citizens and students with special needs to clothing and food drives to volunteering at animal shelters and with environmental clean-up days.

Teacher Scott Thornbro enjoys working with the leadership class students and loves to see them use the curriculum in a real-world application. “The class is a great demonstration for them that what they learn in school can be used in their everyday lives to change other people’s everyday lives.”

For eighth-graders Cole Budde, John Ginther, Ethan Jewell, and Chris Sawyers, the lives they want to change are those affected by heart disease. After hearing DeWolf speak to the class last month, the students decided to put effort toward raising money and awareness for the American Heart Association by sponsoring a Dodge Ball Tournament.

“There are a lot people who have family members who have heart disease and there needs to be more research into treatments for it” said Sawyers. He felt that “the tournament would be a fun way to raise money to pay for that research.”

Organizing the event took weeks as the students took full responsibility for developing and then executing an action plan. “We had to do everything on our own,” said Budde. “In this class you can’t just say you care about something - you have to do something about what you care about.”

Ginther described the group’s action plan and listed the ways they advertised the event; the calls they had to make; and the organizing and coordinating of the 84 players the day of the tournament. “It was hard because we did things that eighth-graders don’t usually do. We had to talk to adults that we don’t normally talk to. We had to talk about why we were doing this in front of our friends. It was hard but it was important so we did it.”