HHS Takes Challenge To Fund Scholarship

So far Hundred High School students, faculty, and staff have raised nearly $500 for the Ben Church Scholarship fund. Church, a graduate and supporter of HHS, died of ALS in 2010. (Photo by Lauren Matthews)
Hundred High School students, faculty, and staff had a cold and soggy conclusion to their second week of school last week as they participated in the famous “ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.”
This challenge has taken the nation by storm this past summer as participants dump a bucket of water on themselves in the name of ALS Awareness, along with most often donating $10 to the ALS Association. They then challenge others to do the same or donate $100 to the ALS Association.
Beverly VanScyoc, teacher at HHS, can be seen as the mastermind of sorts behind HHS’s participation in the challenge. VanScyoc stated that she had been challenged by three different people for the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge; thus, she knew that her participation would have to be in a big way.
She challenged the students, faculty, and staff to participate along with her. In addition to pouring buckets and cups of ice cold water over themselves and each other, students also donated to the Ben Church scholarship fund.
Church’s widow, Wilda, was on hand to watch the event Friday. She stated that her husband, who died in 2010 of ALS, was really involved with Hundred High School. A scholarship in his memory is given to a HHS student each year. As of Friday, students, faculty, and staff had raised $451.09 toward the Ben Church scholarship fund.
HHS students Taylor Fetty and Annie Fuchs were asked for their thoughts after participating in the ice bucket challenge. Both described the event as fun, with Fetty stating that it was the best idea the school has ever had.
In combination with participating in the ice bucket challenge, Principal Daniel Gottron stressed the importance in that students have also been learning about ALS in their health classes.
ALS, formally known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is often referred to as “Lou Gehrig’s Disease.” According to the ALS Association, the disease is “a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord . . . Motor neurons reach from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the body. The progressive degeneration of the motor neurons in ALS eventually leads to a patient’s death.”
Furthermore, “As motor neurons degenerate, they can no longer send impulses to the muscle fibers that normally result in muscle movement. Early symptoms of ALS often include increased muscle weakness, especially involving the arms and legs, speech, swallowing, or breathing. When muscles no longer receive the messages from the motor neurons that they require to function, the muscles begin to atrophy (become smaller). Limbs begin to look “thinner” as muscle tissue atrophies.” Also, “When the motor neurons die, the ability of the brain to initiate and control muscle movement is lost. With voluntary muscle action progressively affected, patients in the later stages of the disease may become totally paralyzed.”
For more information on ALS, be sure to check out www.alsa.org.