Public Support Helps Cancer Fundraiser Rebound

A large crowd's impassioned support and a detailed proposal from three residents seemed to push the Hopatcong school district to the verge of hosting a 24-hour cancer fundraiser at Thursday night's Board of Education meeting at the .

Hopatcong graduates Tim Fahy, Christina Skowronski and Tara Rossy asked the board to support an American Cancer Society fundraiser called that would take place at the track after being initially rebuffed by Superintendent Dr. Charles Maranzano.

Fahy said the group hoped hold the event in either May or June 2012 and wants to raise $55,000. Skowronski said the group tried explaining its plan directly to Maranzano, but he turned down its requests via email.

But after the half-hour discussion, which included support from a pair of Hopatcong school employees, borough youth recreation leaders and residents, Maranazno said he would be open to meeting with the group in the coming weeks. The school board can't make final decisions on what events can happen in the district.

Maranzano said he was concerned about the impact a 24-hour event would have on the school's track, considered by many, including Director of Grounds Neil Piro, to be in terrible shape. Hopatcong High School track teams already aren't allowed to host competitions on it.

"Nobody wants to something done about cancer more than I do," said Maranzano, who lost his mother to the disease at age 16. He added: "I am looking at balance in the interest of what taxes our facility and what benefits come from it. You've made me aware tonight of some very careful planning and some well-thought-out details associated with this request."

Several crowd members expressed disappointment that the event could be denied due to a lack of funds.

"I think you'd just be hurting yourself a lot more and we're going to get less [school budget] votes," Tulsa Trail support person Stacy Yanko said. "I have to be honest, I'm embarrassed to be sitting here and to hear that our main concern once again is the money."

Said Hudson Maxim art teacher Karin Frey: "I wish more politicians could hear and see what we've come down to. When the young people in this town—that we could not be more proud of—are coming to the school and asking for something that's going to benefit so many and to show their leadership … it's a coup for us and monetarily we're staying we might not be able to see it because money is tight? I wish these people could see what it comes down to because our community has not been a community for a long time. Our town and our school are so separate at this point. I really believe this may be a really good starting point to say we're going to do the best we can under the circumstances."

Hopatcong Hawks youth track President Dave Barnish and Hopatcong Warriors youth football and cheerleading President Gene Clarke said their organizations would participate in the fundraiser and assist in the cleanup. Hopatcong resident Pete Riffel said he hosted an event at the track that drew about 5,000 people from several nearby communities and that it had "zero" impact on the track.

Piro and Maranzano, however, disagreed that an event could have no impact on the facility.

"To say there would be no impact—it's not real," Piro said. "The real impact is the next day when our maintenance people have to go there and collect what's left behind."

A former school grounds employee, Fahy said during his presentation that the American Cancer Society could hire janitors and supply a dumpster for the event. He added that a cleanup crew would be established. Fahy said to look at the positives—that the fundraiser could involve Hopatcong students and brighten the borough's image.

"What this would cost you is good publicity," Fahy said. "That's the only cost."

Maranzano said he hoped if the schools hosted the event it would help convince borough residents to vote for the district's proposed budget in April, which has seen 16 defeats in 20 years. He said budget defeats cripple the district's ability to retain teachers and improve facilities such as the track.

"If as a corollary or an extension of what you're saying is we mobilize young people and we can get some votes for our school budgets as we move forward from here, that would be a win-win," Maranzano said. "That's going to be needed because we are reaching a critical point in terms of facilities and pride in Hopatcong that is suffering tremendously due to budget cuts."