SPRING LAKE HEIGHTS — Students from Jaclyn Kelly’s fourth grade class at Spring Lake Heights Elementary School have been raising thousands of dollars for cancer research after starting the “Kids Cure Cancer Club.”
Through GoFundMe, a series of lemonade stands and bracelet sales, the nine and ten year olds have raised approximately $3,000 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Ms. Kelly, the students’ teacher, said the idea to start the club was completely their idea, and that she and some other adults only helped guide them along through the process. The children came up with the idea in the winter months during an inside recess session.
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“It was completely them, I truly just one day said ‘Okay, how can I help?’,” she told The Coast Star. “They were just kind of inspired by different stories they’ve heard and such and they teamed up as a group.”
All 14 students in the class came together to form a club and decided to call it the “Kids Cure Cancer Club.” Ms. Kelly said that they created a logo and a website to make some money for cancer research.
One of the students received assistance from a parent to create a GoFundMe, from which all proceeds go directly towards St. Jude. Ms. Kelly mentioned that the students wanted to focus on pediatrics. The GoFundMe, which has raised $1,420 so far, is still open and can be found here.
The students also held a series of lemonade stands throughout April, which raised about another $1,500 for the cause. Additionally, they’ll be selling special bracelets all through May.
“Everyone keeps thanking me… but I’m just like the adult that has to be here, this is not me, this is their idea for everything,” she added. “They worked the lemonade stands, they decide who’s going to help with the money, they decide who’s going to pour the cups… and different things like that.”
Ms. Kelly said that the students are very excited about the Kids Cure Cancer Club, and are already discussing projects for next year, and even over summer break.
“There are definitely for sure a strong handful of kids that would want to continue, and I know they’ve shared it with their friends… and people kind of know who we are,” she said. “These kids, knowing them, they’re very driven so I could see them continuing this.”
While the Kids Cure Cancer club will all be in different classes next school year, Ms. Kelly thinks that the group could possibly meet after school, and sees longevity in the club.
“Only being nine and ten years old, it’s truly amazing how much they care for other people,” she said. “One of the biggest things I talk about in the classroom is that I have to teach them how to be good little humans first before I can teach them anything else, and it really paid off this year… I’m just really proud of them.”
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