Pauline Hartman, Alexa Mervine, and Barbara Nather are three Archdiocese of Philadelphia Elementary School alumni who were recently recognized by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) as “Students of the Year 2021” for raising $153,336.96 for the Delaware chapter of LLS.
Both Pauline and Alexa are graduates of Saint Thomas the Apostle School in Glen Mills (Delaware County) and Barbara is a graduate of Holy Family Regional Catholic School in Aston (Delaware County). All graduated from elementary school in 2018.
The students named their team “Fight With All Your Might” and participated in a seven-week campaign, which launched in January. The initiative involved raising funds by writing letters to hundreds of contacts, soliciting businesses, hosting fundraisers as well as a live three-day auction that concluded with a virtual gala with all of the teams. Pauline has a personal connection to LLS, as her godfather recently passed away from the disease and Alexa spent weeks in the hospital as a child with a blood disorder where she met many children with Leukemia so it is close to her heart.
Dr. Andrew McLaughlin, Secretary for Elementary Education for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia said, “On behalf of my colleagues in the Office of Elementary Education, I extend prayerful congratulations to Pauline, Alexa, and Barbara and their families for this recognition by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.” Dr. McLaughlin continued, “Their work to help others in critical need is a clear reflection of the values taught in our schools each day throughout the five-county region. I commend their dedication to raise the critical funds to support the ongoing fight against leukemia and lymphoma.”
Pauline and Alexa have attended school together since the second grade and they forged a friendship with Barbara through Archdiocesan CYO activities in Delaware County. All three students are currently juniors at Archmere Academy in Claymont, Delaware.
The LLS Students of the Year Campaign is an exciting leadership development and philanthropy program in which high school students participate in a fundraising competition. This campaign benefits LLS and the mission to cure blood cancers. This year, the Delaware chapter had 13 teams competing with a combined total of $536,116 raised.
Note: For more information about Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, please visit https://aopcatholicschools.org/ .
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