Students of the Year is a philanthropic leadership development program during which students foster professional skills such as entrepreneurship, marketing, and project management in order to raise funds for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), the world’s largest nonprofit organization fighting blood cancer. The Northeast Ohio Chapter of LLS has 27 area high schools participating in this year’s Students of the Year program. Nordonia High School Students are in their fourth year of participation in Students of the Year, and this year promises to be the best one yet. This year’s team is led by Seniors Emma Chase, Maddy Mika, and Ally Siewert, and with them are more than 30 students and adult mentors hoping to raise $20,000 for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in just seven weeks. The campaign began on January 9th and ends on February 27th, and the team in on track to meet, and even exceed their goal.
The team has been hard at work planning fundraising and outreach events, and conducting both a direct mail and email campaign, as well as using social media to gain support. Fundraising events have included a Chipotle Night and promotions at Rollhouse, Achieve Nutrition, and A/R Workshop. Last weekend, the team hosted it’s third Coffee and Melodies, a 2-hour coffee house and performance-based show at Nordonia High School featuring several talented high school singers and musicians. The team’s last big event is happening at Nordonia High School on Saturday, February 20th, an all levels yoga class taught by Namaste Yoga Studios and Jolynn McFerren. The team will host two classes at 1pm and 2:30pm, or participants can request a zoom link. Masks and social distancing will be required.
While Covid has made fundraising a challenge, the team has been optimistic that they can reach their goal. “Nordonia High School and many community partners have been very supportive of our campaign and the mission to end blood cancers. We are very fortunate to be able to host in-person events like Coffee and Melodies and yoga, and we are taking precautions to be sure everyone feels safe.” said Ally Siewert.
Anyone wishing to sign up for the yoga event at the High School on Saturday, February 20thcan do so on line at http://my.cheddarup.com/c/all-levels-yoga-class Donations are also be accepted at https://events.lls.org/noh/nohSOY21/tnordoniak.
Submitted by: Ally Siewert, Emma Chase, and Maddy Mika – Nordonia High School Seniors and Candidates for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Students of the Year
