25-02-2025
Limestone Community High School shatters Easterseals fundraising goal
BARTONVILLE, Ill. (WMBD) — The booming drums and the loud instruments rocked the gym and gave Limestone Community High School students a terrific pick-me-up.
But it wasn't to cheer on a sports team but rather to celebrate uniqueness.
Limestone raised about $90,000 last year for their annual Easterseals fundraiser. Given that, the seniors issued a challenge and a chance to earn gold — raise $100,000. Easterseals is a national nonprofit devoted to helping kids with developmental delays, disabilities, or other special needs.
Challenge accepted and shattered.
After not even a month, students raised a total of $125,490. The total wasn't known by the entire student body until it was revealed through numbers on posterboards during the mid-morning assembly.
Even a cleverly rehearsed 'accidental' re-arrangement of the numbers that made it appear to students like they missed their goal didn't shake the confidence.
'The seniors set a goal of $100,000,' said Tara Stout, the faculty advisor for the student council. 'And we're like, 'Okay, fine, as long as the message of Easterseals is what's coming through, that everybody is included and empowered to be able to do whatever they want with their goals. Okay, let's make it happen.''
'And they, of course, blew it out of the water,' she said.
Each year a theme is picked for the fundraiser, and this year's was 'The Greatest Showman' to celebrate uniqueness and being proud of who you are. Beaming with pride, Stout said the students' efforts showed the dedication of students as well as the community.
'It just goes to show our community we can do amazing things for other people and have that joy right along with the people that it benefits,' Stout said.
Senior Victoria Bartolo is the student body president. She said raising this type of money isn't a simple task.
'It is a labor of love and it does not come easy,' she said. 'But for things like this and the opening assembly and also seeing the difference that we make, it's all worth it.'
Several fundraisers including a male pageant called 'Rocket Man,' named after their school's team name, and other events like a golf outing were able to help students achieve the goal the seniors set out to reach.
Bartolo said the memories she and her peers have made over her last four years doing this charity won't be forgotten.
'If it's a funny story about one of the events like Rocket Man or just telling everyone that we broke the record, it means the world to me, and it's something that I'll carry with me for the rest of my life,' she said.
Limestone puts on 'the greatest show' as they prepare to help a local non-profit
Keith Brown, district superintendent, spoke during the assembly about how the effort put into the Easterseals fundraiser reflects on the community and heart of Limestone.
'We are a big proponent of inclusion in our classrooms and in our programs, and you see it every day. The rest of the outside world gets to see it during this month,' he said. 'We believe very, very strongly in inclusion and community.'
After the 'business part of the meeting,' students competed against the faculty in tug of war, a cheer routine was performed. Since girls lost in what Limestone dubbed the 'Battle of the Sexes' — a friendly contest to see who raised more money, boys or girls — some female students and faculty had pies thrown in their face by the gleeful boys.
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