It started 18 months ago as a school-wide civic engagement program for a new group at North Lyon County Junior High. It’s developed into statewide recognition for their work.
The CATS, or Civic Action Training Squad program, and other eighth-grade students at the school raised over $2,000 for the Never Let Go Fund last fall through a variety of measures including penny wars, raffles, a bake sale and a pie-in-the-face event. Student Austin Woodrow was struck by how many children battle cancer.
Once the money was raised and handed off, the students developed a referendum recognizing September as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and Sept. 9 as All Gold Day, taking the school district’s proclamation to a state level. Student Bethany DeDonder isn’t a CATS student, but she got involved in both aspects of the awareness effort. She says it was important for her to be involved, based on different relationships through other groups.
Eighth-grade social studies teacher JD Chanley says it was gratifying to watch all the work of the students pay off.
The Kansas House passed the referendum, with a formal presentation to the students at the Statehouse on Tuesday.
The Never Let Go Fund was formed to help families of children with cancer through financial assistance for trips and other expenses after teenager Adrian Solano lost a lengthy battle with cancer in 2011.
