Led by former Auroran Jennifer Lauerman, students at Pleasantdale Middle School in Burr Ridge raised $11,000 for the American Cancer Society in the school’s 16th annual Relay for Life fundraiser Thursday, May 30.
Lauerman, Pleasantdale fifth grade teacher and relay founder and director, reported results on Thursday morning at Walker Park in Burr Ridge. Students, teachers and family members gathered there for a 90-minute walk and run on the park’s walking path.
Culminating weeks of bake sales, lemonade stands and a magic show by students, the outdoor event on the final day of 2023-2024 classes raised $11,000 for ACS, increasing the school’s 16-year total to $117,000. Lauermann said donations are still coming in.
She said top student fundraisers were fifth grader Elizabeth Buchanan and seventh grader Isaiah Garcia Ramirez who each brought in more than $500.
Cancer survivors Jennifer Mehlman, Jean Benson and Fred Bell kicked off the walk by carrying a survivors’ banner.
Students signed “Why I Walk” white boards before and during the event, listing relatives and friends lost to cancer.
Lauermann said, “We want to stop this disease in its tracks. We have spent weeks fundraising for the American Cancer Society to honor the lives lost to cancer, celebrate survivors and support the caregivers who so selflessly help others.
“The money our students raise helps ACS fund innovative research, providing rides to treatment and places to stay for patients undergoing treatment far from home and offering free information to people dealing with the disease.
“Our money is helping save lives.”
—Al Benson