As a result of one girl in Grade 5, on Friday, January 24, many kids at John Muir elementary wore pink. That girl is Alyssia MacDonald, a friend of Hannah Day, a little girl in Victoria who has leukaemia. Wanting to do something for her, Alyssia decided to raise funds through her school. She and some friends of her’s, Lily and Tyler, went around to all the classrooms and gave a powerpoint presentation. And on Friday, students were asked to wear pink to school, and contribute to a fund for Hannah.
Alyssia successfully raised $471 from John Muir. In the afternoon, Tara Kenmare from Saseenos elementary PAC (parents’ advisory committee) came and delivered a cheque for $111 — $1 for each child. The two schools combined raised a grand total of $582.
When asked about her fundraising efforts, Alyssia was just as generous with her praise.
“I feel really proud of my whole school,” she said, acknowledging that the success of the drive depended on every child’s contributions.
Hannah had been fighting cancer, and was eventually deemed cancer free. Then, two short months after a Make a Wish trip was planned, a blood test showed she had leukaemia. As described on her website, “Hannah’s only chance of surviving now is a stem cell transplant from a donor who is a perfect match.”
For those interested in helping Hannah, there will be a Swab Drive on January 31 at the Mayfair Shopping Centre in Victoria. Registering is easy, and includes a simple cheek swab. It runs from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., and you have to be between 17 and 35.
To follow Hannah’s story, you can visit the website at http://www.hannahday.ca