For the fifth consecutive year, the Thomas J. Lahey Elementary School physical education department in the Harborfields Central School District hosted its Fifth-Grade Charity Volleyball Tournament with all proceeds this year benefiting a family in the district who has a child battling cancer.
To register for the tournament, each of the 190 fifth-grade students paid a nominal fee of $5 that allowed them to participate in several volleyball matches with their fellow classmates. To help supplement the funds collected, the Tunney family, a family in the district, generously matched each child’s registration fee.
Through gracious contributions from the TJL physical education department, faculty and community members, a raffle was held, which allowed the entire school to contribute to this special cause. Some of the prizes included sport equipment packages, gift cards for Dunkin Donuts, GameStop, Besito Mexican Restaurant and Old Fields Restaurant, and students entered for a chance to win a pizza and bagel party for their class.
Through the collaborative efforts of the school community and the Tunney family donation as well as raffle tickets and concession stand sales, TJL School raised nearly $6,000 to help the Wrede family defray medical costs for their child. At the end of January, Mrs. Kerri Wrede met some of the students who participated in the tournament and thanked them personally for all their efforts.
Photo Caption: Thomas J. Lahey fifth-grade Charity Volleyball captains, Principal Margy Greene, Assistant Principal Mary Williams, members of the TJL physical education department, the Tunney family and Kerri Wrede (holding the T-shirt).
Photo courtesy of the Harborfields Central School District
