Staff Reports

HAMPTONVILLE — A group of West Yadkin School students wanted to find a way to honor and inspire a teacher who was recently diagnosed with cancer.

Ashton Hemric, Rebecca Riley and Ashley Griffin managed to do both, helping — along with numerous classmates — to raise $2,868.51 during a special week-long drive in late March. The money will be donated to cancer research via the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life in honor of teacher Cathy Pope, who will miss the last part of this school year while undergoing cancer treatments.

“The ideas the girls had were very creative and very unique,” said West Yadkin teacher and coach Donnie Livengood, who helped the students organize their efforts.

The biggest money raiser was a special raffle. The girls took a pink basketball, donated by Cook’s Sporting Goods in North Wilkesboro, and sold raffle tickets for $1 each.

“All of the basketball team from Virginia Tech University autographed the basketball,” Livengood said. “The best known name on the ball was No. 14, Victor Davila, who attended Starmount and just finished his freshman season at Virginia Tech.”

Also, big jars were placed in the lobby of the school for students in each grade level to place donated money. At the end of the week, the eighth-grade class held a special two-hour activity time in the gym. It cost $1 to get in if the student wore pink, $2 if they didn’t.

Activities like ping-pong and karaoke were set up, again requesting donations to participate. A half-court shootout raised $250. Profits from a middle-school dance that Friday night also went to the special fund in honor of Pope.

“I would like to thank everyone who helped make this project so successful,” Livengood said. “So many people, young and old, made this happen. Thank you for caring so much.”