MONROE - Applause, along with a few tears, greeted cancer survivors Thursday as St. Victor School held its first Mini Relay for Life.
"We wanted the children to see cancer survivors," event organizer Lisa DeMuth said.
The children created a bulletin board with pictures of relatives who have or had cancer, DeMuth said. She told her fourth-grade students about the people in her life who were affected by cancer.
"This is a perfect opportunity to remember people who they know had cancer," she said.
DeMuth's students were curious about why she wanted to organize the relay.
"I told them it's because I don't want them to grow up and have to face cancer, and I don't want them to have children who have cancer," she said.
The children already knew some of the survivors.
The Rev. Mike Klarer of St. Victor Catholic Church also is a cancer survivor. He served as honorary chairman.
"The children were behind me 100 percent when I had cancer," Klarer said. "I got letters and notes from them telling me they were praying for me."
Mitch McArdle is known to the students through his exploits on the basketball court with the Monroe High School boys basketball team, but they might not have known he was a cancer survivor.
McArdle, maybe more than anyone else, caught their attention. As someone relatively close to their own age, the children could learn that cancer isn't something that only adults can get. They listened quietly as he talked to them.
"With people praying for me I got through it," he said.
He had chemotherapy for three or four months and wasn't able to go to school.
"That was the only good part about it," he joked, while the kids laughed.
In June, the Relay for Life event at Monroe High School brings in hundreds of walkers from across the county to raise money for cancer research.
St. Victor School students walked around a track set up on their playground. Each grade took turns walking for about 20 to 30 minutes throughout the day.
"We're standing up to cancer," fourth-grader Stacy Miceli said. "We're psyched about it."
The school hoped to raise $500 for the American Cancer Society. By Thursday morning the school already had raised $2,700 and more donations were expected, DeMuth said. By the end of the day the students raised about $3,000.
"This is really amazing," Klarer said.
"We wanted the children to see cancer survivors," event organizer Lisa DeMuth said.
The children created a bulletin board with pictures of relatives who have or had cancer, DeMuth said. She told her fourth-grade students about the people in her life who were affected by cancer.
"This is a perfect opportunity to remember people who they know had cancer," she said.
DeMuth's students were curious about why she wanted to organize the relay.
"I told them it's because I don't want them to grow up and have to face cancer, and I don't want them to have children who have cancer," she said.
The children already knew some of the survivors.
The Rev. Mike Klarer of St. Victor Catholic Church also is a cancer survivor. He served as honorary chairman.
"The children were behind me 100 percent when I had cancer," Klarer said. "I got letters and notes from them telling me they were praying for me."
Mitch McArdle is known to the students through his exploits on the basketball court with the Monroe High School boys basketball team, but they might not have known he was a cancer survivor.
McArdle, maybe more than anyone else, caught their attention. As someone relatively close to their own age, the children could learn that cancer isn't something that only adults can get. They listened quietly as he talked to them.
"With people praying for me I got through it," he said.
He had chemotherapy for three or four months and wasn't able to go to school.
"That was the only good part about it," he joked, while the kids laughed.
In June, the Relay for Life event at Monroe High School brings in hundreds of walkers from across the county to raise money for cancer research.
St. Victor School students walked around a track set up on their playground. Each grade took turns walking for about 20 to 30 minutes throughout the day.
"We're standing up to cancer," fourth-grader Stacy Miceli said. "We're psyched about it."
The school hoped to raise $500 for the American Cancer Society. By Thursday morning the school already had raised $2,700 and more donations were expected, DeMuth said. By the end of the day the students raised about $3,000.
"This is really amazing," Klarer said.