The Franklin News-Post
P. O. Box 250
310 Main Street, SW
Rocky Mount, Virginia 24151
540-483-5113
Fax: 540-483-8013
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Staff Photo by Joel Turner:
Henry Elementary third-graders hold up a Relay for Life banner. Jennifer Tyree, captain of the relay team at Henry, and Principal Lisa Bowman spearheaded the efforts to get Franklin County schools to participate in this years relay. |
Friday, June 12, 2009
By JOEL TURNER - Staff Writer
When Jennifer Tyree was stricken with cancer in December 2007, she never expected her illness would motivate hundreds of students in Franklin County schools to participate in the county's Relay for Life event and raise money for cancer research.
Tyree, a parent of students at Henry Elementary School and a Henry bus driver, had to undergo surgeries and chemotherapy as part of her cancer treatment.
She is recovered now from her illness, but she hasn't given up her fight against cancer.
In 2008, the American Cancer Society contacted Tyree about starting a team for the Relay for Life event.
Working with Lisa Bowman, principal of Henry Elementary, Tyree formed a Relay for Life team at Henry Elementary for the 2008 event in Franklin County. Henry was the only school that raised funds and participated in the 2008 relay.
But 10 county schools have raised funds and will join in the event this year because of the efforts spearheaded by Bowman and Tyree.
This year's Relay for Life will be June 26-27 at the Bruce M. Kent Track Field at Franklin County High School.
"This is amazing to have so many schools since we only had one school last year to participate," Bowman said.
The 10 schools are Henry, Callaway, Snow Creek, Sontag, Lee M. Waid, Burnt Chimney, Ferrum and Boones Mill elementary schools, Benjamin Franklin Middle School and Franklin County High School.
Also, the employees at the school system's central administrative office have joined in and collected enough money to become a sponsor.
As a result, "Franklin County Public Schools" will be on the relay's t-shirts this year, Bowman said.
"Relay for Life helps teach children about charities and cancer," Bowman said.
"Most of the children know someone who has had cancer or been affected by cancer," she said.
Bowman said Tyree has been a leader in the school's ï¾ Relay activities and team. Tyree has twin boys who are in the third grade at the school.
The fundraising events at Henry Elementary this school year have included bingo night, dances, a talent show and change (coins) collections. The school has raised more than $1,000.
Bowman said that another parent, Michelle Chandler, has played a key role in the Relay for Life fundraising.
All of the schools have conducted fundraising activities this spring. Several had collections of coins and pocket change. Some sold bracelets.
Sontag Elementary students had a mini-relay, played games and participated in other activities. The mini-relay began with a ceremony in the gymnasium where the Sontag students held up small paper suns while Principal Denny Robey and Aspen Black sang "Sunshine On My Shoulders" in honor of cancer survivors.
The students also made lumenaria bags with the words HOPE and CURE spelled out with the bags on either side of the gym, and the students were seated in the middle. Then all of the students walked a lap around the school track to simulate the real relay before heading to group cancer prevention games.
At Benjamin Franklin Middle School, the school raised more than $1,100 in a coin and loose change collection, said Jessica Slough, captain of the school's Relay for Life team.
There are also touching personal stories of students making donations.
At Burnt Chimney Elementary, Jaden Bernard, a kindergarten student, donated a bag of pennies that was given to her by her great grandmother, Dessie Guilliams.
Guilliams gave the pennies to Jaden before she died recently.
Vicki Craighead, Jaden's kindergarten teacher, said Jaden brought in the bag of pennies from home and donated them to Relay for Life.
"She said she wanted to give them to Relay for Life," Craighead said.
At Burnt Chimney Elementary, second-graders Maggie Prillaman and Ashley Coleman said they will walk in the relay on the night of June 26-27.
At Boones Mill Elementary, students also raised funds for Relay for Life. Shelley Hodges, co-captain of the school's relay team, and Principal Bernice Cobbs have spearheaded the efforts.
Among the students who have helped raise funds are Owen Angell, Hunter Brown, Madison Brown and Courtney Johnson, Drew Hodges, Drake Ross, Anna Hudson, Gabriel Wimmer and Jacob Dudley.
Bowman, the Henry Elementary principal, is pleased that so many county schools are participating in Relay for Life this year.
"Great things have been happening at all these schools," Bowman said, adding that it has been a positive experience for the students. |
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