Lakewood High School hosted its first-ever magic show Friday, Feb. 6, as part of the Team Rangers for a Cure campaign. The event, organized by students and staff, featured renowned magician Rick Smith Jr. and a team of other performers, drawing a diverse crowd to support Blood Cancer United.
The evening transformed the Civic Auditorium into a lively venue, with face painting and concessions provided by the Hayes Elementary PTA and Rangers for a Cure in the lobby. Smith’s team also had games and merchandise for sale. The show was a major fundraiser for the student-led initiative, which focuses on raising money for blood cancer research and patient support.
“This magic show was a great start to the campaign and helped set a future precedent for the coming years. I think it was a great way of getting the community together and involved with this amazing cause and helped us raise a lot of money,” said LHS junior and Rangers for a Cure team lead Lilly Boland.
Rick Smith Jr., a nationally recognized magician and illusionist known for his impressive card tricks, performed through his Magic Gives Back program. The initiative partners with local schools and organizations to return the proceeds to the community. In addition to Smith, several other magicians performed in the show, all of them inviting audience volunteers to join them on stage.
Team Rangers for a Cure advisor and LHS teacher Allison Gliozzi said about the partnership, “It definitely aligns with local organizations and keeps the money within the community.”
The event required significant coordination between both local elementary schools and high school students. “It was my idea to have the magic show, but we worked with the Hayes PTA to set this up,” said Lydia Koons, a senior and student visionary who helped organize the event. “They sold the majority of the tickets to reach the younger audiences at the elementary schools, but we did most of the planning and behind-the-scenes work to bring this to fruition.”
The Team Rangers for a Cure campaign is part of the broader Student Visionaries of the Year initiative, which empowers high school students to lead large-scale fundraising efforts. The campaign encourages students to become leaders, advocates, and community organizers while making a tangible impact on real-world issues.
Team Rangers for a Cure supports Blood Cancer United, a nonprofit dedicated to improving the quality of life for blood cancer patients and funding groundbreaking research. Proceeds from ticket sales and lobby donations at the magic show go directly to the charity.
The success of the inaugural show serves as a testament to the impact of student-led initiatives and the strength of community partnerships in making a difference. Looking ahead, Lakewood High School plans to make the magic show an annual tradition, with goals to increase attendance and fundraising totals each year.
Gliozzi said, “We only have a couple more weeks left in our campaign, and all of our students are working on not only individual donations, but we have more events and Dine and Donates coming up, so come out and support!”
