Philadelphia ASPIRA Students and Community Raise over $10000 ...

Philadelphia ASPIRA Students and Community Raise over $10,000 for Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS)
Annual event raises awareness and money

(Philadelphia-April 2, 2012) ? On Friday March 30, 2012, over 1,000 K-12 ASPIRA students and their parents came together to learn about cancer and raise money for the Eastern

Students from the ASPIRA Educational Campus in the East Oak Lane area of Philadelphia participate in arts and crafts inspired by cancer awareness symbols

Pennsylvania Chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). The ASPIRA educational campus is made up of three schools, all of which participated in Friday?s event: Peque?os Pasos De ASPIRA Preschool Program, Eugenio Maria de Hostos Charter School, (K-8) and ASPIRA/Camelot ? Excel Academy for accelerated high school students.

Friday?s third annual ASPIRA LLS event was led by Pasos parent Sulma Velasquez, the visionary leader of the home and school association of Peque?os Pasos and a cancer survivor herself. Sulma reported on Friday afternoon that the event raised $10,030.and that 1,465 people were in attendance.

Sulma Velasquez said ?Thank you for giving me the hope, love and strength to fight cancer for 25 years.?

Sulma is dedicated to making sure students learn about cancer from an early age and supporting LLS, an organization that not only supported her through cancer but also her parents, who both died of cancer.

Parents and students had a fun day moving from indoor arts and crafts activities and dancing, to the many fun outdoor activities like potato

Camelot teachers and administrators from Philadelphia's Excel Academies came out with Camelot students at ASPIRA Excel Academy for a day long fundraiser and day of education for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

?sack racing and the moon bounce. Tickets were $5 for the public and then there were raffle tickets being sold for prizes like a Wii and Phillies tickets.

Sadiqa D. Lucas the Executive Director of Aspira Excel Academy said, ?Today, 100 students and staff of ASPIRA Excel Academy (AEA) came

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together for a cause that many were unfamiliar with but others deal with on a daily basis, cancer. The Students of AEA volunteered their time while enjoying interacting with the community, Hostos & Pasos students through dance and hands on activities. AEA truly appreciates the opportunity to participate and we are already looking forward to next year?s event.

Alyssa Boyle, Principal of Excel Academy North, brought 12 students to chip in and help Aspira Excel Academy. Alyssa said, ?The kids from Excel North were delighted to help out at such a fun and meaningful event. They especially loved face painting and dancing.?

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ASPIRA Excel Academy students were asked to volunteer at the event by Sulma and have gone above and beyond in their efforts. Instead of just taking one day to help, the students turned March into a month-long research and learning opportunity. Every day in March ASPIRA Excel Academy focused on a different type of cancer or cancer related topic. The students researched the topics independently and the Camelot science teacher gave a synopsis on each type of cancer. Students also wore the representative colors for each cancer on the days they focused on that particular type.

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