By Rachel Lavery, Special Writer
UPPER FREEHOLD — Stone Bridge Middle School students, teachers and staff recently raised $6,035 for cancer research through various spirit activities during the school’s first Quest for the Cure Week.
The beneficiary of the school community’s fundraising prowess during the week of Feb. 6-10 was the V Foundation, which was started in 1993 by well-known NCAA basketball coach Jim Valvano and ESPN to raise money for cancer research shortly before Mr. Valvano’s death at age 46. “Jimmy V,” as he was known, was a passionate, committed motivator whose motto — “Don’t give up; don’t ever give up!” — became the trademark of the cancer foundation that bears his name.
Typically, Stone Bridge Middle School holds a Shoot for the Cure basketball game every year, run by the school’s basketball and cheerleading teams. Last year, the event raised $1,000 for Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
Cheerleading coach Jessica Zukus said she felt that if more events were added and spaced over an entire week, more funds could be raised for cancer research. Ms. Zukus, a technology teacher, and staff member Maureen Scibila put together a full week’s worth of activities that included opportunities for homerooms to earn points to win a bagel breakfast.
The week kicked off with a Rally for the Cure on Monday, Feb. 6 during which representatives of the school sports teams and student council introduced the week’s events. The students watched a video of Jim Valvano’s inspirational 1993 ESPY Awards speech in which he announced the formation of the V Foundation. During the school rally that followed, students participated in various basketball competitions to earn points for their homerooms.
The activity that raised the most money was the weeklong Coins for the Cure penny war. The milk jug penny collection competition between all homerooms raised $3,992. The homerooms were awarded points based on how many pennies they collected.
Each day of the week had a spirit theme. Students and staff participated in Hat Day, Sweatpants and Slippers Day, Crazy Hair Day, Stone Bridge Clothing Day and Tie-Dye Clothing Day. Student council members counted each homeroom’s participants to calculate points.
The student council also sold breakfast every morning before school to raise money. Bordentown Bagel donated five dozen bagels each day. Two Dunkin’ Donuts locations, South Broad Street in Hamilton and Route 130 in Robbinsville, each donated munchkins for breakfast one day. Student council members donated additional breakfast items.
A Shoot for the Cure basketball game and Pin Em’ for the Cure wrestling match, both against Pond Road Middle School in Robbinsville, were also part of the week’s activities. Basketball players, wrestlers, cheerleaders and their families donated snacks. Local businesses Via Roma II and Pasquale’s Pizzeria donated pizzas for the two events.
The Stone Bridge basketball players and wrestlers wore tie-dye to represent all forms of cancer and the Robbinsville teams wore pink in honor of breast cancer research. All food sale proceeds from the games went to the V Foundation.

