By:Donna Lukiw
Sunnymead School Principal Tammy Jenkins models a T-shirt printed by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, featuring a design by Hillsborough first-grader Annie Ryan, after a visit by LLS representatives noting the school’s efforts to raise money for Annie.
By slipping pennies and coins into a bucket, the Sunnymead Elementary School students were able to raise $3,226 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) Pennies for Patients coin drive in honor of first-grader Annie Ryan.
Annie was diagnosed with leukemia in July and has been receiving intense chemotherapy at St. Peter’s Children’s Hospital in New Brunswick.
On March 8, a representative from the LLS came to Sunnymead where staff members and Annie presented the organization with a check for $3,226.
The coin drive began in February where each classroom had their own bucket for the collection.
At the end of each week the school took the coins to Commerce Bank to get a total.
"Weekly, the results were published and the top three classrooms were announced, you could hear the classrooms yell as they heard themselves called," school nurse Susan Yurcisn said. "Some of the classes pitted boys against girls for homework passes. We also had a ‘guess the amount of pennies in the jar’ contest."
Ms. Yurcisn said the classroom that guessed the closest to the correct amount won the pennies for their total.
Some parents even matched their child’s classroom total.
The first-place classroom won a pizza party and the second-place team won an ice cream party from the LLS.
"Jessica Orr and Gina Panas of the LLS worked with us and the (Ryan) family," Ms. Yurcisn said. "They made up a flyer with Annie’s picture on it for the promotion of the drive. In fact, they used Annie’s drawings on T-shirts and post cards and she is going to be featured in their promotional video for next fall."
Ms. Orr and Ms. Panas accepted Sunnymead School’s check on March 8.
Andy Ryan, Annie’s father said Annie is feeling better and has been back in school since the end of February.
"Her energy is back," Mr. Ryan said. "Annie, myself and her big brother Jack played baseball and rode bikes until 7 p.m. (Monday) it was great to be outside and seeing her be active."
Mr. Ryan said Annie also marched in the Irish parade in Somerville on Sunday with her Brownie Scout troop.
Annie is now in the maintenance phase of her treatment she still gets chemotherapy every day at home and once a month she goes to the hospital for a chemotherapy injection.
Mr. Ryan said this phase will last for the next year and a half.
"She has been such a trooper throughout this whole ordeal we couldn’t be more proud of her and we look forward to the end of her treatment," Mr. Ryan said. "We also just want to thank the whole town for their support and prayers."

