Rival high schools team up to help veterans group
A friendly fundraising competition between Hersey and Prospect high schools over a six-week period brought in more than $20,000 for the veterans organization Folds of Honor.
The two rival schools in Northwest Suburban High School District 214 launched a joint campaign, "Rivals in Sport, Partners in Purpose," at a boys varsity basketball game Dec. 14. Both school communities spent the next several weeks raising money online and on campus, including Hersey's annual gingerbread house build night and the sale of challenge coins at both schools.
At Prospect, 10 pairs of teachers competed to raise money from students to avoid having a pie thrown in their face at a pep assembly.
"If you wanted a certain teacher to get a pie in the face, you would donate to their rival. The teachers that won pied the teachers they beat," said John Camardella, Prospect's coach and a world religions teacher. "It created a lot of good school spirit throughout the week."
The two basketball teams met again Jan. 25, when their coaches presented a large check to Folds of Honor, which provides scholarships to families of fallen and disabled military members. Hersey edged out Prospect in total dollars raised.
Hersey and other District 214 schools raised some $80,000 the previous four years combined to build homes for disabled veterans with nonprofit A Soldier's Journey Home. Because the vetting process for a deserving vet took longer this year, Hersey decided to join Prospect's fundraiser for Folds of Honor, officials said.