News
Third graders to raise money for St. Jude
Scott Wagar
03/04/2014
The three sections of Bottineau’s third graders all came together on Feb. 25 to reach one goal as a class, that of finding a cure for cancer and helping the children of St. Jude Children’s Hospital financially.
The young scholars have made the decision 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 fundraising program not only assists children with cancer and other life threatening diseases, but it assists the young scholars who are raising money to become better in the field of math.
“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. Jude’s patients battling cancer and other catastrophic childhood diseases.”
The Bottineau school has participated in the Math-a-Thon for 21 years. Mavis Hagen, a third grade teacher in the Bottineau School District, established Bottineau’s third graders in becoming participants in the St. Jude Math-a-Thon.
Sadly, just over four years ago Hagen lost her own life to cancer. With her passing, the third grade teachers made the decision to honor Hagen by continuing in the Math-a-Thon with hopes of finding a cure for cancer and helping the young patients in St. Jude’s medical facility.
Over the 21 years, third graders in Bottineau have raised $19,349 for St. Jude Hospital. In the past four years, the students have raised $9,770 with the following classes raising this amount:
- 2009 Class - $1,000
- 2010 Class - $1,100
- 2011 Class - $1,700
- 2012 Class - $2,675
- 2013 Class - $3,295
This year’s class made the decision to reach the goal of $1,500 with the Math-a-Thon project. The third grade teachers, Angie Hoff, Karen Brandvold and Heather Kersten, kicked-off the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital’s 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” and “Sam and Cat”), Jennette McCurdy (Sam from “iCarly” and “Sam and Cat”) and Nathan Kress (Freddie from “iCarly”) who explained to the third graders how the Math-a-Thon fundraiser is conducted, which is completed through a few 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 Hoff.
- 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 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. Research findings at St. Jude are also shared with physicians and scientist throughout the world.
The facility opened in 1962 with children who have come from across the United States and all around the world for treatment.