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Community Corner

Cherokee 4th Graders Raise Money To Support Classmate's Cause

Students manned lemonade and baked goods stands to raise donations for Benny's World.

When fourth grade students chose Benny’s World as its charitable cause, they were also telling one of their classmates, Bella Watters, that her younger brother’s passing was not in vain.

“It made me feel happy because I know that people actually wanted to help find a cure,” she said.

Bella’s brother, Benny, died just shy of age 6 on Sept. 8, 2010, due to a brain stem tumor. Their parents, Lisa and Brendan Watters, created Benny’s World, a non-profit foundation to fund research to find a cure for pediatric brain stem tumors.

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This is the first year Cherokee School students have performed a service project, and they had the equally empowering opportunity to vote for the cause they wanted to support.

“The community (and) all of her classmates are aware of what Benny went through because it’s been in the community as well as with Bella being in our fourth grade,” said Amy Mobile, a fourth-grade teacher at Cherokee. 

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Saturday, Mobile joined some of her Cherokee students and their parents at one of four lemonade/bake sale stands stationed around Lake Forest to raise funds.

At the Lake Forest High School West Campus site, the stand was placed along the path leading to the soccer fields.  

“We were coordinating with the time of the AYSO soccer games to catch the players and parents as they arrive and depart from their soccer games,” said Bill Avery, one of the parents there. “Sales are going great. People are being very supportive and very generous in spite of the (rainy) weather.” 

At the in downtown Lake Forest, Cherokee fourth grader Cassy King gave a “thumbs up” on the state of sales. The 10-year-old said their stand probably made more than $100, and Mobile said the money will be totaled this week at school.

“The best way to make sales here is to ask very politely and explain what you’re doing,” said Colby Jensen, 10, and King’s classmate, at the Jewel-Osco. He mentioned that he also did this project for his grandpa, who died of cancer.

students Alexa Shruhan and Victoria Egedus stopped by Jewel-Osco and came across the lemonade stand and bake sale, and Jensen went into action, though the ladies were already familiar with the cause.

“The (college) football team adopted Benny and a lot of the kids on the team explained to us about Benny and what his situation was,” said Shruhan. Egedus bought mini cupcakes, and both made donations.

Proceeds raised will be used to purchase 18 “There’s a Monkey in My Chair” kits, which include stuffed monkeys to help children stay connected to the classroom when away for cancer treatments. The balance of the funds raised will go to cancer research.

“It was awesome. We had a lot of sales and a lot of positive energy,” said Lisa Watters, Benny’s mother. “The kids really enjoyed being involved.”

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