Community Corner
Collingswood High Students, Staff Raise Money For Student With Cancer
Students and staff raised $2,000 at a "Dodging4Michaela" dodgeball tournament earlier this month.
Press release from the Collingswood Public School District:
March 13, 2023
Collingswood High School students and staff joined forces on March 1st to host the “Dodging4Michaela” event, an 8-on-8 medic tournament to raise money for Michaela Bogon, a senior at Collingswood High School who is currently battling cancer.
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The two-hour dodgeball tournament was organized by a longtime physical education teacher and Collingswood resident, Nancy O’Neil. Ms. O’Neill is an active member of the school community who cares deeply for all students. Knowing about Michaela’s battle, Ms. O’Neill initiated the plan for a dodgeball fundraiser that the entire school could take part in. More than 20 teams of students and staff participated in the tournament. Each team showed their spirit and support for Michaela by creating t-shirts with inspirational messages worn during the tournament.
The event raised approximately $2,000 which will be donated to the Bogon family to help defray costs associated with her treatment and care.
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In advance of the tournament, students also sold yellow "Dodging 4 Michaela" bracelets. The sale was intended to help others practice using their nondominant hand in recognition of the challenges Michaela is experiencing. The yellow bracelets were sold for $1 each during student lunches leading up to the tournament. The "Dodging 4 Michaela" bracelet sale was organized by Ms. O’Neill and Michaela’s guidance counselor, Ms. Latoya Goodall, in honor of Michaela's determination and resilience.
“This event brought together the entire student body in a competitive and fun environment. Students were motivated by the opportunity to participate in a great event while supporting a student experiencing a significant health challenge. Staff and students coming together for this fantastic display of comradery speaks to the culture and strengths of the CHS school community,” stated Dr. Michael Ostroff, principal of Collingwood High School.
While receiving treatment, Michaela recently learned that she was accepted to her first choice school, Virginia Tech. See ABC6 News story here.
This press release was produced by the Collingswood Public School District. The views expressed here are the author's own.
