Since early May, students, staff and faculty have been showing their support and encouragement for those who have fought and those who are still fighting cancer by raising funds for second-grade teacher Jen Poitras’ and first-grade teacher Jen Theriault’s Relay for Life team, Daffodil Days.
“We asked Principal Leland Caron I we could do some fund-raisers for our relay team, and it’s kind of taken a life of it’s own,” described Poitras, who is a cancer survivor herself. “It’s turned into a huge thing for the whole school because we have so many survivors — five staff members and one student — and it’s really made us all come together,” she said. “We all know somebody who’s been touched by cancer and especially with one of our students battling cancer this year, I think it’s touched everybody more deeply because of him and his story — the staff and students have been just incredible.”
Aside from the fund-raising that has been tremendously supported by the community with students making donations to hang big purple bows on their lockers, enter cake raffles and dress casual, the school has really come together to show their support for their teachers and students.
In early May, Poitras put up a poster-sized sheet of paper where students and staff could write messages to the survivors and everyone who’s been affected by the disease. There were lines waiting for an opportunity to write a message and by the end of the day, the paper was entirely filled with loving and supportive messages. The next day, Poitras put up another paper and again it was filled. Four times she had to put up papers — four times they were filled with purple inked messages of hope and compassion.
Kindergarten through 12th grade, students have taken it upon themselves to donate what they can in order to help raise money for cancer research. While some may consider it a tough topic for younger students to handle, the teachers have taken the time to make sure the students understand what the purple ribbons mean.
“I had one little girl in first grade say to me ‘I’m so glad I got to bring in pennies for the jar because now we won’t have to visit you at the cemetery!” Poitras laughed as she remembered her conversation with the student. While not all the Limestone youths and faculty have shown their support in such a humorous way, the school has become bound together with purple ribbons and encouraging words.
“I’ve been really proud to be a part of it and to see how all of the kids have supported each other,” Poitras said.
The Relay for Life is starts this Friday at 6 p.m. at the Caribou High School track. Additional information can be found at relayforlife.org.
Eagles temporarily trade black and orange for Relay Purple
LIMESTONE, Maine — The annual Relay for Life fund-raiser has certainly found support at the Limestone Community School (LCS) where cancer has touched the lives of almost everyone school-wide.
