CRESTVIEW — Riverside Elementary students raised $1,160 for the American Cancer Society during Thursday's Mini Relay for Life at Shoal River Middle School’s track. Each class spent 30 minutes running, walking, jogging or skipping to raise cancer awareness.
"We’re doing this Relay for Life to save money for people who have cancer," Jalyssa Koestler, 5, said.
The school raises nearly $4,000 each school year for the American Cancer Society. This week, students were asked to bring $1 each to help meet that goal.
Parents were encouraged to join their children at Thursday’s event. Ingrid Roberts, a school volunteer who attended with her 9-year-old daughter, Ashley, said she is proud that the school teaches cancer awareness.
"It’s so important," she said. "I think as children get more involved, it will help (them) build more character, be more giving and become a better member of society."
"All of our children, faculty and parents are well aware of how much cancer has affected everyone," Principal Marline Van Dyke, a cancer survivor, said. "It just goes to show that (cancer) doesn't kill everybody."
Contact News Bulletin Staff Writer Matthew Brown at 850-682-6524 or matthewb@crestviewbulletin.com. Follow him on Twitter @cnbMatthew.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Riverside walks toward $4k goal for cancer research