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Schools

St. Francis Students to Participate in Pennies for Patients

St. Francis High School's programs attest to the value of service to the community.

St. Francis High School recently announced that it would be participating in the Pennies for Patients program in support of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). Students will collect pennies for the organization from Monday, April 16 to Friday, April 27. The community is invited to contribute to the initiative as well.

The Pennies for Patients program began in 1994 and has since raised more than 10 million in funds. With the program, LLS fund blood cancer research as well as provides information and support services for patients and their families. Much of their work focuses on leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease, and myeloma.

The tradition of giving back to the community has long been a part of St. Francis’ tradition. Besides working on programs such as Pennies for Patients, the students have an annual Performing Arts Lecture Series with speakers who are considered role models in the arts. Past speakers have included Kelsey Grammar, David Hyde Pierce, and Doris Roberts. They address themes of Franciscan virtues, such as integrity, humility, and joy.

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Thomas G. Cavanaugh, who serves as Senior Vice President of Business and Legal Affairs for FOX MUSIC, INC., spoke at St. Francis High School as part of the series. He spoke on the theme of “options we take,” detailing his experience in the entertainment industry and as a kidney donor. Apart from the talk, he was given the St. Francis Arts Award. When interviewed, he mentioned his experience in wanting to give back as an organ donor as well as the students’ interest in helping the community. It comes full circle with initiatives like Pennies for Patients.

“The award was a beautiful honor but the best part was being able to talk to all these students and see how open and how carefully they were listening,” said Cavanaugh. “They’re just an amazing group of kids… I think it’s a testament to how good this school is–that they teach the kids to be aware of the world around them."

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