RALLY for a fight

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Bianca Farfan-Hernandez

The‌ ‌gold-out‌ ‌football‌ ‌game‌ ‌concluded‌ ‌the‌ ‌eventful‌ ‌Rally‌ ‌month‌ ‌and‌ ‌allowed‌ ‌the‌ ‌club‌ ‌ to‌ ‌collect‌ ‌one-fourth‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌total‌ ‌donations‌ ‌from‌ ‌classmates,‌ ‌teachers,‌ ‌and‌ ‌parents.‌ ‌The‌ ‌club‌ ‌ made‌ ‌more‌ ‌than‌ ‌expected‌ ‌and‌ ‌can‌ ‌not‌ ‌wait‌ ‌for‌ ‌next‌ ‌September‌ ‌so‌ ‌they‌ ‌can‌ ‌make‌ ‌even‌ ‌ more.‌ ‌“The‌ ‌Rally‌ ‌club‌ ‌raised‌ ‌more‌ ‌money‌ ‌than‌ ‌ever‌ ‌before.‌ ‌We‌ ‌had‌ ‌an‌ ‌amazing‌ ‌group‌ ‌of‌ ‌ members,‌ ‌who‌ ‌made‌ ‌it‌ ‌fun.‌ ‌We‌ ‌received‌ ‌donated‌ ‌decorations‌ ‌from‌ ‌Lost‌ ‌Mountain‌ ‌middle‌ ‌ school‌ ‌and‌ ‌we‌ ‌used‌ ‌those‌ ‌to‌ ‌decorate‌ ‌our‌ ‌rally‌ ‌stand‌ ‌and‌ ‌football‌ ‌players.‌ ‌It‌ ‌was‌ ‌a‌ ‌very‌ ‌ great‌ ‌experience.‌ ‌We‌ ‌really‌ ‌did‌ ‌spread‌ ‌the‌ ‌word‌ ‌on‌ ‌Rally‌ ‌and‌ ‌we‌ ‌passed‌ ‌out‌ ‌stickers‌ ‌and‌ ‌ wristbands‌ ‌but‌ ‌most‌ ‌importantly‌ ‌we‌ ‌raised‌ ‌a‌ ‌big‌ ‌amount‌ ‌of‌ ‌donations‌ ‌which‌ ‌I‌ ‌know‌ ‌will‌ ‌ make‌ ‌an‌ ‌impact,”‌ ‌junior‌ ‌and‌ ‌Rally‌ ‌president‌ ‌Claire‌ ‌Scafidi‌ ‌said.‌

Bianca Farfan-Hernandez, Reporter
October 10, 2021

NC offers a variety of clubs that fit student interests, including Rally. The Rally club kicked off with a bang this year after making $200 more in donations than two years ago. The club focuses on raising funds and donations for children with cancer. Rally month starts in September, but the club at NC begins about two weeks before September 1st to brainstorm various ways to collect donations and come up with fundraising ideas. For Rally month, members of the club decorate the front school building with plenty of Rally information including Remind join codes, and an abundance of the foundation’s signature color: gold. Rally also hosts spirit week, where the club’s president and leaders organize various activities throughout the week.

“I love walking into the school and seeing all the cheerful, uplifting [golden] color and advertisements around, it really does pull you to want to donate and join to help the Rally foundation. I mentor in the attendance office and many people walk in and ask about it and love the fact NC has this club. It can really be life-changing,” senior Mya Duke said.

The Rally foundation formed in 2005 and commenced with high hopes to help the kids in need because of the low amount of research dedicated to kids with cancer. Of every dollar donated to the Rally Foundation, 93 cents goes directly to Rally’s foundation. Volunteers help impact childhood cancer research and raise awareness for childhood cancer to enhance better treatments and find cures. The overall donations collected contribute to the 28% of Rally-Funded projects that advanced to clinical trials. Major accomplishments from Rally make it possible to help kids from all over the world, giving them more endless opportunities, including kid camps that allow child cancer patients to have fun while also helping families in need. 

Because of the great number of students who took virtual classes over the past two years, the club was temporarily discontinued due to the low number of students that joined. After almost two long years of the COVID-19 pandemic affecting clubs at NC, the now 35 member club worked exceptionally hard to make this year one for the books. To keep donation numbers up this year and spread the Rally mission, members sold Rally t-shirts, collected donations, and fundraised daily in carpool lines. The group worked exceptionally hard this year to maintain high student involvement and obtain an abundance of donations. Rally shirt prices this year cost $15 for sizes small, medium, and large and $20 for sizes XL and XXL. 

This year, Rally made $2486.64 in total from both donations and t-shirt sales. Unfortunately, because of the COVID-19 pandemic and new NC regulations, the club enforced restrictions that prevented Rally to complete large fundraisers this year or physically touch money. Because of these regulations, the Rally members and Dr. Roch (the Rally advisor) were worried but fortunately, Rally managed to still raise impressive funds.

“I am so proud we over-exceeded our goal of $2000 and exceeded the amount made 2 years ago by $200 because of the hard work and dedication our rally club members pushed to help the cause of childhood cancer. We had an amazing group and I can’t wait to see what NC will bring to Rally next year,” junior and Rally leader Maisey Wasulko said.