San Juan Hills’ AVID program has once again sponsored the Pennies for Patients fundraiser and is hoping to raise $3,000 this year to help leukemia patients, surpassing the $2,518.88 raised in the past.

The fundraiser, which took place from March 10-14, will help patients diagnosed with blood cancer, leukemia, and lymphoma by donating all of the money to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. The honored hero of this years’ fundraiser is Niko, a six year old boy battling leukemia.

Kristine Calder, the school’s dance instructor and Niko’s neighbor, hosted the TEAM NIKO dance earlier this year to help raise money for his family. Niko was diagnosed in January of 2014 with B-cell ALL leukemia, which is the most treatable form. He is currently under treatment at CHOC hospital and will soon start 30 days of a more intense form of chemo, followed by an outpatient status for the next three years. Niko’s family, along with many other families of leukemia patients, can use all the emotional and financial support we can give them.

Donations will not go directly to his family, but the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society will be giving them financial assistance along with other services since he was chosen as AVID’s 2014 honored hero.

If you forgot your mayonnaise jar full of pennies at home you can still donate online through this weekend.

The class that raised the most money through the classroom collections will get a pasta party hosted by Olive Garden.

For any information or questions regarding this fundraiser, please contact Fernanda Villalba through schoolloop.