Arroyo Grande elementary school creates care packages for childhood cancer patients
ARROYO GRANDE, Calif. – Harloe Elementary School in Arroyo Grande is observing Childhood Cancer Awareness Month by creating care packages that will soon be donated to young patients who are battling the disease.
The month-long project culminated today with a school-wide rally where students and staff gathered to recognize the importance of helping kids who are battling cancer.
"The 6th graders have taken charge," said Harloe Elementary 6th grade teacher Traci Cajas. "They have worked on the education, the research about childhood cancer and they are ready to perform their presentation today at the rally.They are wholeheartedly in. They are so excited. The energy has been incredible this last month. They are super passionate and the whole school has been amazing. It takes. We're just really proud of our school and I love just how much Harloe cares."
The Harloe campus was awash with the color gold, as the vast majority the students and staff wore gold clothing, in honor of the official color that symbolizes pediatric cancer. There were also gold colored posters hung on walls and doors all throughout the school.
"Everyone is wearing gold and it's really cool and it just shows how much we care," said student Aria Ortiz. "It feels really good because we've been working hard these past few weeks to make this all happen and all the other grades are supporting it so much and you can tell that everyone cares and it makes me feel really warm inside."
During the entire month, the school has collected donations from the community to help fill the care packages, which include toys, games, art supplies, books and clothing and other small items.
"Everyone in the school is giving donations to the children that have cancer and Mateo (Cota) is going to be bringing them to lots of the children in hospitals," said student Sage Lindgren. "It feels really good because they are going through a lot and they need the support, so it feels good that we're helping them out."
For many of the students, especially the 6th graders, they are extremely familiar with difficulties of childhood cancer.
Sixth grade student Mateo Cota was first diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia exactly 10 years ago in Sept. 2013.
Cota battled cancer during many of his early years at Harloe, which provided students and staff with a first-hand example of what it is like for a child go through treatment while fighting the disease.
Cota is grateful for all of the support he received from the school and the community during his long and difficult journey.
Now healthy and doing great as he goes through his final year at Harloe, Cota is also excited to be able to give back to other kids that are in the same situation he was in for many years.
"It's really cool to see my school celebrating the people like me that are going through rough times in the hospital," said Cota. "Me and my family are going to go deliver them and we might have to take a trailer because there's so much stuff that people have donated. It's amazing that people care about people that are not doing the best right now."
Throughout the month, the school has educated students in all grade levels about cancer, in order to raise their awareness and knowledge about it, and provide a better understanding of the disease.
"Our mission was to help educate this year and have the entire school know what childhood cancer is about," said Cajas. "They've had some statistics and they did some research. So many of them have been touched by cancer, so knowing that it's not contagious and that there are cures and treatments and that research and funding is out there and that there is hope and they really want to know that there's hope for sure."
