NFMHS students raise funds for children’s hospital
Never has wearing jeans to school been so cool, or the purpose so rewarding.
Students and teachers at North Fort Myers High School and at three other Southwest Florida schools have raised funds for the new Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida at HealthPark Medical Center.
Three separate fundraisers done by teachers, JROTC and with the help of Smoothie King raised $606.12, with Suncoast Credit Union Foundation matching that total.
All told, the schools teamed up to raise $7,203 for the soon-to-be-built hospital, including the matching funds.
For teachers at the school, for the cost of a dollar a day during the month of December, they would be allowed to wear jeans to work, with that money going to the hospital.
Principal Matt Mederios gave the go-ahead for the campaign, which was led by English teacher Barbara Teitelzweig.
“The district office sent us something about this. I forwarded it to staff. When she read about it, she thought it would be nice to do something,” Mederios said.
“I’m a big supporter of the foundation. I’m a Take Stock in Children coordinator, so anything that has to do with the foundation I try to help,” Teitelzweig said. “I suggested teachers on Friday pay a dollar to wear jeans. He said it should be throughout the month.”
The teachers raised more than $400 with their jeans drive, while the JROTC did a similar campaign, paying a dollar so they wouldn’t have to wear their uniforms on Wednesday, which raised about $200.
Smoothie King came out on Friday to sell smoothies for 45, giving a dollar back to the school for the fundraiser, Teitelzweig said.
“We were very pleased because we wanted to raiser $500 to earn a brick in the Walk of Heroes for the hospital,” Teitelzweig said. “The teachers and students were happy to pay the dollar and the smoothies were great, so it was a win-win for everybody.”
Students from Cypress Lake Middle, Laurel Oak Elementary, and Tanglewood Elementary schools also took part in the fundraising effort. They will also be honored with engraved pavers at the new hospital, which is expected to open in 2017.
Mederios said it felt good to give back.
“It was the least we could do for such a worthwhile cause, especially if it helps the lives of children,” Mederios said.
Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida is part of Lee Memorial Health System and is the only acute care children’s hospital between Tampa and Miami.
The children’s hospital opened in 1994 within HealthPark Medical Center and was named Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida in 2012.
Lee Memorial Health System Foundation, the primary fund raising entity for the hospital, is engaged in a fundraising campaign to raise $100 million for a new 128-bed children’s facility at HealthPark.