METUCHEN — Students from Metuchen High School honored a fellow teen who recently lost his battle with cancer by donating more than $3,700 to the Embrace Kids Foundation.
The students banded together to raise money for the New Brunswick organization in honor of Conor McCadden, a 16-year-old MHS junior and captain of the varsity basketball team, who died Dec. 14.
During the school day and basketball games, students sold yellow bracelets for $2, with all the profits going to the Embrace Kids Foundation.
The school hosted a “Yellow Out” at its Dec. 19 boys basketball game to show support for the fight against sarcoma, the disease that affected Conor. Fans wore yellow and were given a yellow ribbon as they entered. Admission was free, but donations were collected. The basketball teams wore yellow shoes and warm-up shirts emblazoned with “Warrior Dawg.”
With all the support, the school was able to raise the donation for the foundation. Bracelets are still being sold.
Rachel Foley, a representative from the Embrace Kids Foundation, came to Metuchen High School on Jan. 6 to collect the money.
“This is going to be a huge help,” she said.
The Embrace Kids Foundation started in 1991 with parents creating simple bake sales to raise money for children with cancer and other serious disorders.
The nonprofit provided more than $1.4 million in services to children and families throughout the New Jersey/New York metropolitan area in 2013, according to its website. The foundation hosts many events to support the children, including parties; lunches; walks; and their biggest event, the RU4Kids Dance Marathon.