Black River Middle School Dance Raises Money for AEDs

Valentine’s Day 2012 is turning out to be quite a celebration for those in favor of automatic external defibrillators being placed in their community.

With an AED Good Samaritan bill passing through the Senate 37-1 on Feb. 13 and the Assembly expected to vote on Feb. 16, it may be time to purchase the defibrillators sooner than many anticipated. Fortunately, the students at the are already one step ahead.

“Right from the beginning our Valentine’s Dance was going to be a fundraiser for AEDs,” said Beth Grasso, who is advisor for the sixth and seventh grade. “And there are actually two dances. The goal with both will be to assist our school district in purchasing AEDs.”

As always the event was chaperoned by parents and staff. Students were able to submit a song request to a master list beforehand and DJ Ambramski played them with a mix of rock and pop tunes. The gym was kept open so those who weren’t interested in cutting a rug on dance floor adorned with Valentine’s balloons were able to play basketball and socialize with their friends.

Over 100 students attended the dance, which was not a surprise for Grasso, who felt the students were supportive from the beginning. “When I explained the fundraiser/dance idea to the student council, they immediately embraced it.” Grasso said noting that the dance fit in with what they try to accomplish regularly at the school, unity. “The goal of the dance is to bring the students together as a BRMS
Community of Unity to have fun in a safe, inclusive setting where they can benefit others by contributing to the purchase of lifesaving AEDs.”

While the best part may have been the socialization, everyone in attendance clapped when it was announced they had raised $500 to defray the cost of AED purchases.

“The most important part was that the kids had fun,” said Wendy Hurdman who suggested the AED fundraiser idea to Grasso. “One of the boys who was wary before the dance told his mother he had a blast, and my own daughter Katie wanted to know if we could have one every Friday.”