Students and staff at Keystone Academy Charter School wore their hearts on their sleeves, or more specifically their shirts, this Valentine’s Day.
The school raised $690 to donate to the ALS Association Greater Philadelphia Chapter in memory of teacher Christopher Hoffer’s uncle, John Dwyer, who passed away after battling ALS in December 2017.
Hoffer called him an active and energetic person who coached basketball and liked to go to amusement parks.
“To hear the news he had been diagnosed with this disease was very heartbreaking for our family,” he said.
Hoffer wanted to show support for the ALS Association in February 2017, the first year the school raised funds for the foundation. Students and staff donated a minimum of a dollar to dress down on Valentine’s Day, wearing colors like pink and purple to raise awareness. Some students wore shirts displaying hearts with the letters ALS inside them.
The tradition has been alive ever since, with this year’s fundraiser drawing the biggest total yet.
“We’ve educated the students on ALS and the symptoms to make awareness of that, so they’ve been informed and they’ve been supportive,” Hoffer said.
The money will support the association’s missions of supporting research to find treatment and a cure, advocating and spreading awareness on behalf of patients and supporting patients with necessary equipment and treatment centers.
“An event like this touches us a little more because it’s kids who are getting involved and helping raise awareness of the disease,” said Carla Patton, event specialist for the association. “It makes more knowledgeable of what the funds are for.” ••
