News

Students take on math to assist St. Jude’s hospital

Scott Wagar

03/12/2013

Bottineau’s third grade classes showed their excitement this past Monday afternoon when they pledged to participate in St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital’s Math-a-thon, a fundraising program at St. Jude, which is a health and research facility that cares for children diagnosed with cancer and other life threatening diseases regardless of their families’ ability to pay.

“The program includes a free math curriculum supplement for grades K-8 that students complete after obtaining a sponsorship from family and friends,” stated St. Jude’s website. “The benefits of Math-a-thon add up to help a good cause. Students who participate will improve math and comprehension skills, solve age-appropriate math problems, and understand the importance of helping others. This all equals help for St. Judes’ patients battling cancer and other catastrophic childhood diseases.”

The Bottineau school is in its fifth year of the Math-a-thon since Hagen lost her life to cancer. In the past four years, the students have raised $6,475 with the following classes raising this amount:

  •  2009 Class - $1,000
  •  2010 Class - $1,100
  •  2011 Class - $1,700
  •  2012 Class - $2,675


This year’s class made the decision to reach the goal of $1,000 with the Math-a-thon project, but told teacher Angie Radtke they were going to make every attempt to break their own goal along with the school’s record.

The third grade teachers, Radtke, Karen Brandvold and Heather Kersten, kicked-off the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Math-a-thon by introducing their classes to a Math-a-thon DVD, featuring three actors from the Nickelodeon Channel, Ariana Grande (who plays Cat in “Victorius”), Jennette McCurdy (Sam from “iCarly”) and Nathan Kress (Freddie from “iCarly”) who explained to the third graders how the Math-a-Thon fundraiser is conducted, which is completed through four easy steps.  

  •  The Math-A-Thon DVD is shown to the students and a student/parent guide is sent home with each child for the parent to read, sign and give their consent.
  •  The students return the signed permission/consent form from the Student/Parent Guide to the event coordinators, who are Brandvold, Kersten and Radtke.  
  •  The third graders then go out and obtain sponsors and solve problems in a “Math funbook.”  
  •  The students collect their donations from their sponsors and return the money to the event coordinators.


Students can collect straight donations or collect pledges for each point they earn in the funbook.
The third graders do not only learn math in a fun way, along with conducting community service, but they are given the opportunity to win prizes through the money they raise.

St. Jude is the largest childhood cancer research center in the world when it comes to patients enrolled in research protocols and successful treatment. The facility opened in 1962 with children who have come from across the United States and all around the world for treatment.

Research findings at St. Jude are also shared with physicians and scientist throughout the world.

Brandvold, Kersten and Radtke are encouraging individuals in and around Bottineau to give donations to the third classes for the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Mavis Hagen, an educator in Bottineau’s elementary school who lost her own life to cancer, started the Math-A-Thon for Bottineau’s third grade class. Prior to her death, she asked the school staff to continue the Math-A-Thon event for her, which the staff promised to do for her.