Dozens of students at Sanford H. Calhoun High School, in Merrick, put their money down for some much-needed stress relief last week, raising money for mental health awareness by taking part in an after-school Pie-a-Teacher fundraiser, a friendly, if one-sided, game of dodgeball.
Last Friday, students were given sponges soaked in whipped cream that they tossed across a booth at members of the school’s faculty for donations of $5 per throw.
Calhoun’s senior Student Leadership class voted for the event as its “passion project” after many students shared their own experiences with prioritizing mental health. Their instructor, Brian Joyce, teaches a number of leadership classes in the school. As a part of the senior class’s curriculum, the students propose community service projects connected to a cause they are passionate about, Joyce explained.
“Two of the students proposed doing a campaign to bring awareness to mental health, since mental health is something that a lot of students in high school suffer through,” he said. This led to the creation of Pie-A-Teacher.
The student team’s vision went beyond the sponge toss. The leadership class is also hosting an awareness campaign in which students talk about the importance of caring for their mental health in gym classes.
“They conducted an awareness campaign where they present to the gym classes about mental health, some statistics and letting the kids know they’re not alone, and where they can reach out to get help,” Joyce said.
The proceeds of the event will benefit the National Alliance on Mental Illness, just in time for Mental Health Awareness Month, which is recognized in May. The alliance is a nonprofit that has been involved in public policy, help lines and educational services for 45 years, guided by its vision of a world in which all people have fulfilling lives regardless of their mental health struggles.
Andrew Buono, a senior at Calhoun, was one of the students who planned the event. “I think it’s a great organization,” he said of the alliance, “and we’re addressing such a serious topic in a fun and lighthearted way, where everybody can be involved.”
Fellow senior Ryan Karis saw the event as an important opportunity to connect with classmates while supporting a good cause.
“This is such a big part of our job as leaders at Calhoun,” she said. “Being a part of the Leadership Class, one thing that we focus on is volunteer work and service, and as a class, we decided upon this fundraiser, recognizing how important mental health is today, especially among students.
“We thought that bringing this event here today would be an amazing way to not only promote awareness for mental health within our school,” Karis added, “but also all around by donating all proceeds to NAMI.”
Teacher George Lessig was subject to a few throws, enthusiastic about adding some extra fun toward the end of the school year.
“I think it’s great any time you could raise money for a good cause like mental health awareness, and teachers are willing to participate and have fun with their students,” Lessig said. “I guess any time there’s a chance to pie your teacher in the face, kids will take advantage of that.”
School Counselor Brianna Scotland walked away from the booth smiling.
“A few of my lacrosse players had come up to me and asked if I would get pied today to raise money for mental health,” she said. “So, naturally, I put my head in there, and I think I got 10 sponge pies to the face … it’s everywhere, but all for a good cause. I’m really happy that they collaborated for mental health this year.”
