Number of Participants: 93
Hours Donated: 7
Value of Time Served: $5,501
Event Amount Raised: $5,000
Event Type: Health & Medicine
Sport: Football
Date: October 28, 2022
Location:
Malden Catholic High School
Crystal Street, Malden
MA
About:
We had 65 players take part in our annual Blackout Childhood Cancer Week along with 27 cheerleaders. They were asked to sell Blackout Cancer t-shirts throughout the week to family, friends and their school community for $15. They were able to sell over 400 t-shirts that were all worn on Fri 10/28, the day of the football game vs Boston College High. Funds from the sale of the t-shirts along with student council bake sale and donations are sent to Project Blackout, a student centered 501c3 Non-Profit that works with the Children’s Hospital and a cohort of doctors working specifically on pediatric cancer research. Currently six high schools take part in Blackout Week but Malden Catholic is the only school in Massachusetts so far.
Throughout the week there were lessons and talks on why creating awareness and funds for Pediatric Cancer is so important and they were introduced to an example as Max Gagnon, a ten year old from NH who is currently in Boston Children’s Hospital with his second battle with cancer and throughout the school we hung “Max Strong” signs to remind them who they are helping.
The week concluded with a schoolwide Blackout Pep Rally where all the students and staff wore their shirts, learned more about Pediatric Cancer and prepared for the game that evening.
PRESS RELEASE:
Project Blackout Reaches More Schools and New England Communities
T-Shirt Sale Details Announced in preparation for Pediatric Cancer Awareness
Malden, MA – September 30, 2022 – Project Blackout, a student centered nonprofit dedicated to raising pediatric cancer awareness in New England communities through grassroots events and athletics, today announced that six schools will be hosting Blackout Cancer games this year. The organization has teamed up with CHaD (Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth), Dunkin Donuts, and Brine Team Sports to expand its reach to teams and towns throughout New England in 2022.
“This is the eleventh anniversary year for the program and our third at Malden Catholic and what started as dedicated town football game has snowballed into an overwhelming groundswell of support. Building on the tremendous amount of awareness we’ve created throughout all our athletic teams, our schools, businesses and the school community at large, Project Blackout is reaching more schools this year at a time when the need is absolutely critical,” stated Bill Raycraft, Malden Catholic Athletic Director. “We are anticipating that teams, schools, and communities across New England will join future efforts to show unity and support by wearing Blackout Cancer t-shirts.”
Timed with pediatric cancer awareness month in September, participating teams will host Blackout Cancer football games to unite our communities and build awareness of the high rate of pediatric cancer in New England. Participating schools/communities include:
- Bishop Guertin High School, (Nashua, NH)
- Bow High School, (Bow, NH)
- Malden Catholic High School (Malden, MA)
- Pelham High School, (Pelham, NH)
- St. Thomas Aquinas High School (Dover, NH)
- Windham High School, (Windham, NH)
Featuring a new design each year, the Blackout Cancer t-shirt sale is an integral part of Project Blackout’s annual push to unite communities and raise awareness of pediatric cancer. “For one day, when we all come together wearing the Blackout Cancer t-shirt, that feeling of comradery takes over, and everything else is an aside for that day. It is a wonderful experience,” said Ryan Brown, Athletic Director at Bishop Guertin High School. Fans should plan to wear the 2022 Blackout Cancer t-shirt to school and to the game as a sign of solidarity to their local Blackout Cancer Football Games in September; the 2022 t-shirt will serve as a general admission ticket to the events.
Details on how to purchase t-shirts will be shared from the athletic department and will go on sale from the athletic office the week prior to the game. Be sure to purchase early as the t-shirts sell out each year.
As always, those who want to support Project Blackout but do not want to purchase a shirt can submit donations online. All proceeds from the t-shirt sales and online donations will go to support pediatric cancer research at Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth and local charities in each community for pediatric cancer support funds.
More details on the game specifics and other ways to show support and help increase childhood cancer awareness will be shared by each school and posted on the organization’s social media in the weeks ahead.
#TurnOutTheLights
About Project Blackout
Started in Windham, NH, Project Blackout is a 501(c) nonprofit organization on a mission to turn out the lights on pediatric cancer. According to the CDC, New England has the highest pediatric cancer rates in the United States and Pediatric Cancer remains one of the least funded of all cancer research, this despite 1 out of 252 children age 1-19 will be diagnosed. Dedicated to uniting local towns and schools to help children diagnosed with cancer, Project Blackout aims to educate communities, raise funds for research and support those affected by pediatric cancer. www.projectblackoutusa.org