On February 12 – 23, 2018, Seymour High School had a penny war, a fundraiser which was hosted by the National Honor Society to raise money for research on Leukemia and Lymphoma.  First place got a pizza party, second place got donuts, and third place got cookies. The goal was to raise $750, but the goal was surpassed and almost $1,140 was raised. A total of 47 classes participated and of those 47 classes 19 reached at least $15. The top three places were: Mr. Brown with $224.65, Mrs. Brown with $112.41, and Mrs. Reasoner with $99.39.

Leukemia and Lymphoma are both types of blood cancer that affect 10% of the nation. There is no known cause for Leukemia or Lymphoma. The survival rate for this type of cancer is usually over 60%, but it all depends on the form and what stage it is in. The younger the person is, the higher the survival rate will be because they are best treated by pediatric oncologists which have more experience with this specific type of cancer. MedicineNet says, “Leukemia is an active area of biomedical research. Ongoing studies are examining the risk factors and causes of leukemia, as well as examining new and improved treatment options.”

The director of Leukemia and Lymphoma Society emailed the National Honors Society asking for participation in raising money. All the money raised went directly to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. All of Seymour High School participated in raising money. A box was placed in each classroom for the teachers’ second block classes to donate their money. Both teachers and students put money in the box to try to get in the top three places. Senior, Grace Otte states, “Blood cancer was the chosen cause because some members of National Honors Society had personal experiences with the cancer in their family or knew people that had it.” Just one penny could help make a difference in finding a cure. Last year Indiana raised over $500,000, and over 28 million was raised nationwide.

Blood cancer is something that has affected students personally at Seymour High School. Not only family members of students, but also some students themselves have had a form of blood cancer. Thank you Seymour Owls for supporting a great cause!