It was almost 9 P.M. before Meg McElroy checked the donation totals for her annual Give to the Max Day last Tuesday, November 16th. McElroy, an 8th grade English teacher at Hicksville Middle School, has been raising money to benefit Children's Cancer Research Fund (CCRF) for nine years. On this special day each year, all funds are triple matched by an anonymous donor to CCRF. McElroy had been promoting it in person and on social media for weeks. In 2016, 38 donors (mostly family and friends) contributed $2,565, an amount she described as "thrilling." This year, that number was surpassed by 11 A.M.. She reports 99 donors gave $6,910 in one day-- an amount to be tripled to benefit her charity.
CCRF is a national non-profit organization at the University of Minnesota that contributes to research, education, and quality of life programs for childhood cancer families. This year's funds will be donated in honor of Mia McCaffrey, her friend's daughter who died of pediatric cancer on St. Patrick's Day at the age of six.
CCRF is a national non-profit organization at the University of Minnesota that contributes to research, education, and quality of life programs for childhood cancer families. This year's funds will be donated in honor of Mia McCaffrey, her friend's daughter who died of pediatric cancer on St. Patrick's Day at the age of six.
McElroy began her philanthropic endeavor while witnessing a former student struggle with the effects of Cystic Fibrosis in 2006. Feeling she needed to do something, she raised $1,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. The next two years she chose St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, and raised $3,600. After learning about the great strides it makes in scientific research to benefit childhood cancers, McElroy settled on CCRF. "The most rewarding part of this has been seeing the hopes and goals of CCRF scientists come to fruition over the years," she says. Certain treatments she read about as the hopes of these researchers are currently in animal trials and are set to begin human trials in 2018.
To recognize the generosity of her donors, McElroy hosts a festive holiday party complete with raffle prizes. It's a huge undertaking that she begins in August and works on for countless hours leading up to the event, which is December 2nd this year. "It's time consuming to finalize details around this time each year. But I think it's important to celebrate what we have achieved together." Since 2008, McElroy's efforts have netted CCRF a total of $41,974, not including the $12,000 raised so far this year. And with the holiday party quickly approaching, that is certainly something to celebrate.
