CLEARFIELD – The teachers and students are “All in for Allison” at the Clearfield Area Elementary School.
Allison Colna, a 5-year-old kindergarten student at CAES, was recently diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, shared Principal Mary Mike Sayers at Monday night’s school board meeting.
According to Sayers, teacher, Mrs. Kathy Shugarts, first noticed Allison wasn’t feeling well a couple days in a row and was “adamant” she been seen by a doctor. It was initially thought that she just had a “bug,” but she was later diagnosed with ALL.
“She took that extra step. It’s an example of a teacher knowing her student and caring about them,” said Sayers. Allison is currently in Danville receiving chemotherapy treatments.
“We decided we needed to do something to help her out, and Mrs. Shugarts and her class came up with ‘All in for Allison.’”
Last week, elementary students held a coin war – boys versus girls – and collected more than 1,191 pounds of change.
“In case anyone is wondering, that’s the size of a large, adult cow,” said Sayers. Teachers and staff also held a dress down day Friday for a donation, and the school’s PTO matched the funds raised by the teachers.
As Mrs. Sayers went from classroom to classroom collecting change, students asked to see a picture of Allison. She said it was absolutely amazing how much the students cared for this little girl.
According to Shugarts, she is currently selling “All in for Allison” bracelets for a $2 donation. Additionally, she is planning a T-shirt fundraiser and others in the near future.
“It’s an example of community and spirit,” said Sayers. “… We’re a big school that’s big in heart, too.”