Allentown High School’s athletes and its school community at large have rallied around worthwhile causes over the years.
Above: Allentown High School sophomore Barry Hogan and the rest of his team make their entrance into the Wing Bowl, a fundraiser the high school held for Haiti earthquake victims on Feb. 12. Below: Junior Dennis Brophy competes in the Wing Bowl. PHOTOS BY ERIC SUCAR staff When the school’s students and athletes saw the tragic devastation from the earthquake in Haiti last month that killed thousands and left hundreds of thousands homeless, they again jumped to action.
Vice Principal Connie Embley, who has organized benefit drives at the school in the past, launched a school-wide fundraiser on Jan. 22 with a goal to collect $3,000 for the American Red Cross toward relief efforts in the island nation. Although Embley said there are no faculty members or coaches with ties to the island nation, the school community moved quickly and effectively, and the collection drive early last week surpassed $1,500.
“Our student body and faculty are very concerned about events [like this] in the community and in the world,” said Embley. “We stress to give back to the community. Our student council is rated No. 1 in the state for fundraising.”
Four student groups under the direction of the school administration collaborated in the effort, including the student council, National Honor Society, Character Education group and the Optimist Club.
“This is typical of our school where students join forces for a greater goal,” said Embley.
Financial donations were taken every school day from students at lunch and also during athletic events, including girls and boys basketball games and wrestling matches at the school. Another collection that was scheduled during Back-to-School Night Feb. 5, was canceled because of the snowstorm, but the school remains undaunted and optimistic about fulfilling the challenge.
Above: Allentown High School security staff member Joe Pepe makes his entrance into the Wing Bowl, a fundraiser the high school held for Haiti earthquake victims on Feb. 12. Left: Dennis Brophy (l), a junior at the high school, and senior Mike Girandola stuff themselves with chicken wings. Below: Girandola bites into another wing for a good cause. PHOTOS BY ERIC SUCAR staff “Our students are extremely generous and concerned about the events of the world,” said Embley. “The administration and faculty stress to the students to stay involved with our world beyond Allentown High School. They have embraced this cause as they have with every event. The response has been great. We always meet our goals.”
In December, when Allentown’s boys and girls basketball teams opened their respective seasons against New Egypt, those games were called the “Shoot for the Cure” games for breast cancer awareness. Proceeds from the ticket sales went to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.
“You can help this cause as much as you can,” said boys basketball coach Tim Magnus of the Haiti relief drive. “The school has always been behind causes like this one for Haiti relief and it always stresses to students to think about others, whether it’s giving money or time. Even a dollar is worth the world to somebody else.”
Embley pointed out that student organizations at Allentown raised $2,600 in December to help provide Christmas cheer for 10 needy families in the community. Allentown a few years ago also had raised $5,000 toward rescue and relief efforts for victims of the tsunami.
Magnus pointed out that the Colonial Valley Conference, of which Allentown is a member, donated all proceeds from ticket sales for its opening night league games to the Jimmy V Foundation that raises cancer awareness and goes toward research. 