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For today's Feature Friday, we would like to feature Allison Hartzell, a middle school choir teacher whose students and faculty pulled together to raise money for her treatments. 

Coppell Middle School West in Dallas, TX were shocked when their beloved choir teacher, Allison Hartzell, announced a recurrence of stage IV tongue cancer. She revealed that her options to beat the cancer were to either take on treatments, or just to wait and observe. Ms. Hartzell’s treatments are expensive and would cost up to $8000 per treatment.

Learning of this, students and faculty of Coppell Middle School West pulled together to put on Run4Allison: a campaign in which the goal was to raise money for the beloved teachers treatments.  Associate Principal Bruce Hermans decided to have a friendly small competition between Green Bay Packer fans and Dallas Cowboy fans to see who could raise the most money.  Students sent out emails, went door to door, fundraised and contacted media to bring in donations.

Hermans then raised awareness himself by running the Cellcom Green Bay Marathon in Green Bay, Wisconsin wearing a jersey of the team that raised the most money. He wore a Cowboys jersey since they were initially ahead, but by the end, the Packers were victorious.

They raised more than an astounding $60,000 in funds. Ms. Hartzell wanted a portion of that money to go to the Oral Cancer Foundation. One of our lead coordinators, Ed Brown, attended a ceremony pep rally at the school and accepted the check of $5000 on behalf of the Foundation.

We want to thank the students and faculty of CMS West and extend a special thank you and our thoughts to Allison Hartzell. May you have a triumphant recovery.