8/7/2019 Watertown Middle School participates in Pennies for Patients to help find cure for cancer

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Watertown Middle School participates in Pennies for Patients tohelp find cure for cancer

WICKED LOCAL STAFF PHOTO BY KEITH E. JACOBSONMaddie Rocklin, 14 an 8th grader, fills in a thermometer showing how much money has beenraised, so far, by students at the Watertown Middle School in their 8th annual drive to raisemoney for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. The 3 week drive "Pennies for Patients" is inhonor of Watertown Middle School students, teachers, and families who have been touchedby the disease.

By Laura Paine / Staff Writer Wicked Local WatertownPosted Mar 11, 2011 @ 08:00 AMLast update Mar 11, 2011 @ 12:55 PM

WATERTOWN — Leukemia causes more deaths than any other cancer in children and young adultsunder the age of 20 and Watertown Middle School has lost two teachers, Pat Stayn and Peter Clough, tolymphoma.

But the school has also seen the success that can come from treatment. Physical education teacher Thomas Johnson and a former student named Zach, who is now at Watertown High School, both survivedtheir battles against cancer, and the school is continuing an eight-year fight to increase the number of survivors .

“[Zach] said it made him feel so good to be at a school that really cared and having gone through allthe treatments he knew what it was about,” teacher Eleanor Donato told the TAB. “He felt coming hereto the middle school, people really cared about him. Next year we have an incoming sixth-grader who isa survivor and that adds more immediacy to it when the kids see a kid who has been through everything.”

The middle school community is in its eighth year of raising money for Pennies for Patients to try tohelp find a cure for leukemia and lymphoma. Middle school students will be collecting coins, cash andchecks until March 21 to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s School & YouthProgram, Pennies for Patients. Half of the proceeds go to finding a cure and the other half go to helpingfamilies with expenses such as medication and transportation.

Last year the middle school raised more than $24,000 for the cause and have raised the most of anyschool in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts for the last seven years. They also raised theseventh-highest amount in the country out of 28,000 schools.

Watertown Middle School only has 590 students and they have raised approximately $140,000 sincethey got involved with the program eight years ago. This year they are hoping to break $20,000.

“Ultimately the goal is to eventually cure leukemia and lymphoma so other generations after thiswon’t have to deal with this,” student council president Nick Lanni said. “That’s our biggest goal. TheWatertown Middle School really cares about what we are doing.”

The student council is working closely with their teachers to raise money in the most fun wayspossible, including dodgeball games, raffles, bake sales, chugging contests, a nail salon, homerun derbyand a lap-a-thon at Victory Field. One teacher is taking 50 cent votes to see what color she will dye her hair, which she will unveil at the upcoming student/faculty basketball game rematch.

At the first game, the students beat the faculty for the first time in four years 91-63.“It’s fun,” student council treasurer Allie Doggett said. “It’s something that’s going to help other

people. We’re off to a good start with the money. We’ve raised over $6,000 already. People are going tobenefit from it and you never know, there could be a cure and you know that you helped it.”Maddie Rocklin sent out dozens of e-mails and was able to get an out-of-state donation to her

homeroom. She said it’s amazing how the littlest thing can make a big difference.“Everyone knows someone who has had cancer, whether it is someone close to you, part of your

family, or someone you just met,” Rocklin said. “Either way it affects all of us. No matter what you canalways find someone who has cancer. If we work together it will make a huge difference and add upreally quickly. Anything you can contribute will be helpful. It’s a good feeling inside to know that you’llbe helping people.”

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8/7/2019 Watertown Middle School participates in Pennies for Patients to help find cure for cancer

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Laura Paine can be reached at lpaine@wickedlocal.com.

Want to donate to the Watertown Middle School’s Pennies for Patients fund? Donations can bemailed to or dropped off at the middle school, 68 Waverly Ave., during business hours. To donate online,click here. If you have questions about the program or would like to place a donation box in your business or organization, call Eleanor Donato at 617-926-7783 x 2207 or send an e-mail toedonato@watertown.k12.ma.us.

Copyright 2011 Watertown TAB. Some rights reserved

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