Freehold Township High School has a lot more to offer its students than just an admirable education. This school gives the students the opportunity to participate in sports, clubs and many school-oriented activities. With the new school year ahead of us, we also encounter many other new beginnings. One new beginning starting  this year is the Patriots for Pediatrics club.

Patriots for Pediatrics is a new club created by freshmen, Lily Roessler. Lily says the mission for the club is to work together with different companies to achieve the shared goal of aiding children who suffer from cancer.

Patriots for Pediatrics plans to raise money by selling company’s products at fundraisers. This club also plans to brainstorm new ideas and other ways to raise money to contribute to the cause. Some companies that the club plans to collaborate with in the near future include a hat company called Love Your Melon, the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Saint Jude Children’s Hospital.

One company already involved with Township’s new club is Headbands of Hope. This company makes and sells hair accessories for both girls and boys who are diagnosed with cancer. The way this works is that for every headband of theirs sold, one is then donated to a fighting child. Not only will people enjoy the headbands and accessories they purchase, but they will also do so knowing they just brought a smile upon a child’s face who seems to need that smile the most.

A goal that this club has in mind is to actually be able to visit a local hospital’s pediatric cancer unit to be the ones to give the children the headbands gathered from fundraising them throughout the year. Coming up with donations alone is such a great experience to take part in, but it surely would be something special to participate in seeing the smile on the children’s faces when they received their headbands and hair accessories.

This club means a lot to Lily because she was affected by this devastating disease when she  watched her best friend go through the battle. Almost  three years ago, her best friend Grace, was diagnosed with stage four neuroblastoma. This cancer attacks a person’s nerve cells. Grace was only in fifth grade when this all  happened, and Lily was there right by her friend’s side during the painful experience.

Now, Grace, an eighth grader, is cancer free and even has her own foundation, Cookie’s Crumblers. Grace has been and still continues to be an inspiration for Lily and this is why this club is so special for her and shows how hard she will  work to make the club be as beneficial for the children and as enjoyable as possible for the involved students.

The money raised and donated through this club will either go directly towards companies like Headbands of Hope or other associations, such as Grace’s foundation, Cookie’s Crumblers, which donates to pediatric cancer research.

Taking part in clubs during your four years in high school is a great way to find enjoyment at school, meet new people, and make memories that you can cherish forever. Whether you’re looking for a first club to join or you want to add another club along to your other school involvements, this club could be perfect for you. Pediatric Cancer is a fight that everyone should battle against whether or not they are diagnosed.

To participate in Patriots for Pediatrics, just attend a meeting. Meetings are held every Tuesday morning at 7:45 in room E109. If you can’t make a meeting or have any other questions, feel free to email Lily Roessler, club president, at [email protected] or the club supervisor, Mrs. Striffolino at [email protected].