Pennies for Patients

TEEA member Karen Hill, who teaches English and Math at Valley Forge Middle School, recently helped complete a campaign to raise money for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society (LLS). The event, “Pennies for Patients,” is a program used by Elementary and Middle Schools to fund blood cancer research. LLS is the world’s largest non-profit health organization whose mission is to create a world without cancer.

Hill, who has taught for 35 years (20 at TESD), has lead the event at Valley Forge Middle School since 2005. As she explains it, “A [colleague] came and asked me if I wanted to support LLS and run the program. I said yes, and we’ve been doing it ever since!” The event is run by a community service club at VFMS called the Builder’s Club. Builder’s Club meets twice a week (once for 5th and 6th Graders, and once for 7th and 8th Graders), and works to serve their school and community, develop leadership, and foster strong moral character.

As of April, Valley Forge Middle raised over $27,000 through their Pennies for Patients Campaign. This surpassed their original goal of $25,000. VFMS has raised the most money in Eastern Pennsylvania history and is the top school out of the 500 Eastern Pennsylvania schools for the 2017-18 school year. VFMS is also the top 5 school in the United States this year. Since they started Pennies for Patients in 2005, the school has raised $103,921. Because they raised over $25,000 this year, VFMS will select a blood cancer research portfolio to support and will receive updates on its progress. VFMS’s Fundraiser Page