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Students fight cancerFeb 08, 2013 (Superior Telegram - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Superior students are fighting leukemia with cell phones, coins and dinners. Through the month of February, students at Lake Superior, Bryant and Four Corners elementary schools will be holding "Pennies for Patients" change drives for the Wisconsin chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Seeing young people join the battle is "very encouraging," said Christina Lee, patient services manager with the Wisconsin chapter. It also points out how people of all ages are affected by cancer. "I've known a lot of people who have leukemia," said Suzy Warring, a fourth grader at Lake Superior Elementary School. "It's one of the most popular cancers today." Lake Superior School's "Work, Respect, Belong" group decided to help even more. All month, they will collect cell phones to be recycled. Each reusable phone will net a donation for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society through a program called Cells 4 Cures, said counselor Michelle Welsand, who leads the "Work, Respect, Belong" group. A trio of local restaurants is also kicking in for the cause. On certain days, people who eat out at the restaurants can contribute 10 percent of the proceeds of their meal to the society. People can "Dine to Donate" on Feb. 25 at Buffalo Wild Wings; Feb. 26-28 at Applebee's; and every day through March 4 at Grizzly's in Superior. To get the 10 percent donation, diners must present a certificate available at the Lake Superior Elementary School office. The children said helping people battle blood cancers fit well with their "Work, Respect, Belong" mission. "We're respecting them," said fourth grader Nathan Stuard. "We're working hard to raise money for them so they can get better and walk around." To kick off their fundraising efforts, the students had Lee speak at an all-school assembly Tuesday. They also presented a skit of their own about bullying. In it, one child tries to barge into a game of jump rope by pushing another child. The rest of the students gather around and tell the bully that her behavior was not acceptable. Their message was clear. "It's not nice to bully and you should apologize," said MacKenzie Olson, another fourth grader. "It can be hurtful," Suzy said. And, said their classmate Paige Martineau, students should try to work the disagreement out among themselves before involving a teacher. The kids came up with the skit themselves. "It was all our own idea," Suzy said. "We didn't take it from any book." Funds raised by the group, and the change drives at Four Corners and Bryant schools, will be used to develop new treatments and better chemotherapy drugs that don't make patients so sick or make them lose their hair, Lee said. Some of the money will also go to support local cancer patients. For more information on the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, go online to www.lls.org. More from around the web ___ (c)2013 the Superior Telegram (Superior, Wis.) Visit the Superior Telegram (Superior, Wis.) at www.superiortelegram.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |