With September being National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, Mr. Settembrino hosted a fundraiser for the Tomorrows Children’s Fund. All students who donated $2 were permitted to wear at hat to school on Sept. 22 and faculty and staff who donated $5 were able to wear jeans. Also, students and teachers who participated wore the color yellow or gold.

“My close friend was diagnosed with cancer about two and a half years ago,” said Mr. Settembrino. “He is raising money for the cause, so we wanted to almost follow in his footsteps and get Becton involved,” he added.

The physical education instructor mentioned how upsetting it is to see children sitting in a chair for hours while getting their chemotherapy treatment with nothing to do, so with the money raised, he is hoping to buy sources of entertainment for the children such as iPads, toys, etc.

After donating, students and teachers received a yellow and gold sticker to wear due to the fact that gold is the national color for childhood cancer awareness. The reason for this is because gold goes through a process of fire to get tougher and stronger. It also represents the precious lives of children.

More than 40,000 children are treated for cancer every year. Childhood cancer is not just one disease; it is made up of a dozen types and countless subtypes. In the United States, childhood cancer is the leading cause of death by disease in children under the age of 15.

“Anything we raise will be great. We are just looking to raise awareness and get people involved,” Mr. Settembrino said.