Annual school fundraiser passes the $110,000 mark

JEFF GRANIT staff Seventh-grader Hermang Parikh, 13, of Carl Sandburg Middle School, Old Bridge, takes a layup during the Basketball-A-Thon Nov. 12 to raise money for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tenn.

OLD BRIDGE — It's an event that's taken on many forms over the years, but each time the students have raised lots of money for others in need.

During this year's Basketball-A-Thon, students at Carl Sandburg Middle School managed to round up $8,377 to benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tenn. The event was held Nov. 12-13 and saw students competing in various group activities related in some way to basketball.

Physical education teacher Tammy Dragon, who began working in Old Bridge schools in 1986, has held the annual fundraisers since the early 1990s.

"I could not stay after every day and coach anymore because I had three children at home," she said of the early days. "So I wanted to do something for our students."

It started with a Jump Rope-A-Thon for the American Heart Association. The event continued each year but for different charities. Dragon then took note of a Math-AThon that was held for St. Jude.

JEFF GRANIT staff Seventh-grader Allison Lesko passes the ball between her legs to Julianna Osuch during one of the activities incorporated into the Basketball-A-Thon last week.

"I liked the idea that children would be raising money to help other children, so I created something I could do in the gym," she said.

Over the years, the event has taken on the form of Relay-A-Thon, Volleyball-AThon and the current Basketball-A-Thon. What's more important than the event has been the outcome. In 17 years, the students have raised more than $110,000. The most money raised in a single year was in 2005, when the Sandburg students brought in $13,073 for the hospital.

This year's was considered just as successful, with student Marta Belli raising the most money, with $505.

And where will Dragon go with the event in the future?

"I take one year at a time," she said. "I am not sure about next year. It is a lot of work but it is very rewarding."