Winning at Relay for Life

Students at Kernersville Elementary School (KES) have been busy raising money for Relay for Life and the American Cancer Society. As they well know, even pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters can add up quickly when it comes to the fight against cancer.
The recent winter weather was particularly similar to one unique fundraising effort, where the school sold cotton balls for 25 cents each to build a cotton ball snowman for each grade level.
According to Kathi Amrich, data manager at KES, the students raised more than $1,000 a day ahead of the competition to see who could raise the most money during the fundraiser. The last day was Friday, Feb. 9.
Overall, fourth grade raised the most money while building their own snowman. In addition, they took the fundraiser one step further.
“They built a family of snowmen, added snow and created a blizzard,” Amrich said.
Kindergarten wasn’t too far behind, Amrich continued.
“This generation knows the cancer word. The children would talk about someone they knew who had or has cancer,” Amrich said.
KES student Mikayla Morris, 10, wants cancer to go away.
“I want people to not be sick and cancer to go away. It’s like a bully to kids,” she said.
Another student, Blaine Thompson, also 10, said raising money was to help people who need it.
“There are people who don’t need this (cancer),” Thompson said. “We raise money so they can have a better life.”
Chandler Flynt in Beth Green’s third grade class donated every week and said he is going to find a cure for cancer.
James Ford in Leonia Fox-Smith’s kindergarten class had the largest donation made for the contest. They were given by his two aunts and helped make his class the class that raised the most money in the snowman contest, said Amrich.
Making cotton ball snowmen is just one of the ways KES raises money for Relay for Life. The school hosts a baked potato bar on one of the district’s early release days for staff. The bar usually raises more than $500 each year, Amrich said.
KES also sells sun cards for $1 in the spring to honor survivors, in memory of those who have lost the battle and in support of those currently going through the battle along with their caregivers.
“It’s amazing to see all the names of family and friends of the entire KES family represented,” Amrich said. “That shows you how much this disease has affected so many people right here in our community.”
Another fundraiser includes selling luminaries that the students decorate.
“This year, we may put them around our track for the children to walk around and honor, or maybe put them in the gym and turn off the lights to see the glow sticks light up the bags,” Amrich continued. “They symbolize hope, remembering those who are fighting the battle against cancer, those who have survived and those who have lost their lives. They let people know they are not forgotten and to show your support.”
Amrich said that anyone who would like to donate to the KES Relay for Life team can do so online on the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life page or at the school.
“If anyone wants to make a donation to our Relay team, they could do it online and choose our school’s name or by check, made payable to the American Cancer Society and drop it off at the school,” Amrich said.