On Thursday, Feb. 12, Lakewood High School’s very own Team Rangers For A Cure hosted a combination movie and pizza night fundraiser to support families affected by blood cancer.
Team Rangers For A Cure is just one branch of Blood Cancer United, whose goal is to end blood cancer everywhere by raising money and providing support to those in need.
The movie, Night At The Museum, was shown in LHS’s Civic Auditorium. Simultaneously, a fundraiser took place at Angelo’s Pizza where a portion of the profits went to the cause.
“The money that we raise goes directly to the people who need it most,” said Lydia Koons, a student visionary for Team Rangers For A Cure.
The organization has expanded its outreach to schools, giving students the opportunity to learn about blood cancer, how it affects families and what they can do to help.
“We’re a relatively new team compared to other schools. Technically, it’s our fourth year, as a team, and we’ve raised $85,000 in two years. We’re in the middle of our campaign right now, and again, that money has gone to the people who need it most,” said Koons.
Student visionaries, Erin Boyer, Lydia Koons, and Audrey McNulty, play a key role in planning fundraisers and organizing events to benefit BCU with help from Alison Gliozzi, the advisor for Team Rangers For A Cure.
“I’m here to support the kids. [They] are the ones who are making the decisions, who are doing the fundraising. They’re the ones … on the ground. I am here to support them … [and] make sure that everything that they need from Lakewood City Schools is complete,” Gliozzi.
Throughout the year, Team Rangers For A Cure organizes a variety of events to maximize both education and fundraising in the community. Recently, they hosted a magic show at LHS along with collaborations with multiple local restaurants such as Ohio City Burrito and Bibibop.
Team Rangers For A Cure often does fundraisers in accessible places to foster a stronger community and connect with others who want to help their mission.
“I think it definitely brings in more customers and helps us get closer to our donation goal,” said Claire Monahan, a devoted member of Rangers For A Cure. As for the movie night fundraiser, Monahan said, “It was great. I loved watching it, and I liked watching it with other people that are also doing BCU, and I think that it was really cool.”
Koons emphasized the importance of tradition in their fundraising efforts.
“A lot of [our fundraisers] are based on tradition. [Graduated senior] Luke Burke, pretty much kick-started Team Rangers For A Cure, and he did the raffle basket fundraiser, and we’ve just done that every single year. And then our movie night … we’ve done that in the past. And then [early in the school year], there’s a workshop where new student visionaries, like, meet with old student visionaries, and we just kind of talk about what works best, what doesn’t, and how to get things done.”
Beyond fundraising, members say the experience has had a personal impact.
“I think it’s changed me as a person because of all our volunteering we do, it’s led me to see through different perspectives,” said Monahan.
“We’re raising money for a good cause, but we also want to bring people together. It’s just so nice seeing everyone come together for such an important cause. Because again, the money that we raise goes to patients and their families who are going through something unimaginable, and it’s just nice to know you’re making a difference in the world,” said Koons.
Team Rangers For A Cure continues to develop new and creative fundraisers throughout the year. Students and community members are encouraged to stay informed and find ways to support the cause.
