Hoboken Elementary School Raises $7K To Fight Cancer

HOBOKEN, NJ — Calabro Elementary School in Hoboken recently announced that it raised $7,496 for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) through its Pennies For Patients Campaign.

The activity was also a part of Calabro’s anti-bullying efforts and a way to show kindness to others, school administrators said.

According to school administrators:

“LLS is one of the world’s largest non-profit health organization dedicated to finding cures for blood cancers. Its Pennies for Patients program is for elementary and middle schools that would like to support its mission of create a world without cancer by conducting a fundraising campaign.”

School Nurse and the Pennies for Patients Coordinator Celeste Joyce said that she was “proud of this extraordinary achievement” by the small school of 119 students.

“We involve the students in making and hanging posters about our collection,” Joyce added. “Fourth-grade students helped decorate the classroom collection boxes and helped me collect them at the end of every week.”

“Calabro’s whole school community embraced the initiative - raising money through coin boxes and online fundraising,” Joyce said. “In addition to students and their families’ efforts, staff spread the word among family and friends, and they responded so generously as well.”

The spirit is contagious, according to Joyce:

“Several years ago, we adopted a local pre-K student as our Honored Hero. The kindergarten students at the time, now our sixth graders, wrote our hero letters and valentines while she was being treated. At the end of the year, our honored hero came and visited the kindergarten class for their pizza party.”

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Photo: Calabro Elementary School