In the past school year students at Freedom High School raised and donated over $14,000 for cancer research at the McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research. The Freedom community, a town of ~6300 residents located between Appleton and Green Bay, has supported the students and their efforts to raise funds for cancer research for well over a decade. To date the Freedom High School fundraisers have generated close to $100,000 for cancer research.
Dr. Paul Lambert, Director of the McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research, expressed his gratitude to the Freedom High School Community for their continued efforts to support McArdle scientists dedicated to cancer research. “All of us at the McArdle Laboratory appreciate the hard work and dedication that these students put into this fundraising event, as well as the support provided by the High School teachers and staff, the parents, and the Freedom community. The success of this event is a testament to these inspiring young men and women.”
Freedom High School Seniors and Student Council members Morgan Gerrits, MacKenzie Schuller, and Ellie Van Schyndel recently sat down with McArdle staff to describe their participation in organizing the Crystal Ball fundraiser.
Several years ago, the Student Council at Freedom High School decided to forego the traditional formal dance with a court and king and queen for something they thought would be more meaningful. The annual “Crystal Ball” as they call it has now become a “friendly competition” among the student council, sports teams, and clubs to raise awareness and funds for cancer research.
The Student Council, as well as the school’s teams, clubs, and student organizations nominate a representative and develop their own project to raise funds. Projects have ranged from bake sales to donation buckets at sporting events to recycling aluminum cans and holiday lights to providing oil changes/car repairs in exchange for a donation. After the fundraising period is completed, the club nominees who raised the most money are crowned Crystal Ball Royalty. The McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research was selected as the recipient of their donations in part because 100% of all donations go directly to support research.
Mike Fogarty, a student council advisor and English teacher at Freedom High School, said students take their roles seriously and bring a lot of enthusiasm to the fundraiser. “The week is filled with so much positivity and good-hearted competition, it’s great to be surrounded by the kids’ energy. It’s proof that when you point student enthusiasm in the right direction, the results are impressive.”
Over the years efforts have been made to strengthen the connection between the Freedom High School community and the McArdle Laboratory. In 2015 a group of Freedom High School students visited UW-Madison to participate in the 75th Anniversary celebration for the McArdle Laboratory. The students were able to meet with scientists and learn first-hand about the research projects their efforts support. Similarly, in 2018 Paul Lambert, Director of the McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research, was able to meet with students and staff who raised funds by attending the Crystal Ball week pep rally at Freedom High School.