Westlake HS to Host Spirit Day This Sunday to Fight Childhood Cancer
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This Sunday Mount Pleasant will be hosting its 10th Annual Wildcats Spirit Day at Westlake High School, where more than 400 youth football players in grades 1-6 will be participating, all for an outstanding cause.
Since it started in 2014, Spirit Day has grown into a large outdoor event where there are continuous youth football games while the community, including residents and business sponsors, help to raise money to fight against childhood cancer. All proceeds will be donated to the Ty Louis Campbell Foundation.
Lori Ferrara, event chair for Spirit Day, said the money raised for childhood cancer research consistently lags, which is what the effort seeks to address.
“Something for childhood cancer, there’s really not anything like that, and what families tell me, whether it’s families that have been impacted by childhood cancer or other people in the community that have come year after year, is that it’s a full community event, which is why I pay particular attention to have the local schools involved,” Ferrara said.
Typically, more than 1,000 people have turned out for the event.
Local youth football teams are usually represented from Valhalla, Mount Pleasant, Armonk and Pleasantville, although the goal is to get one different community each year, Ferrara said.
The decade-long effort has been successful as a result of scores of volunteers and sponsors and the generosity of families and businesses in the community. Last year, Spirit Day raised $87,000, the most successful year since it was started, Ferrara said. Since it began, about $350,000 has been raised for childhood cancer, she said.
The money has funded clinical trials
While the day addresses a serious cause, community members who attend will have a fun time. There will be a DJ, an assortment of food trucks, along with pumpkins for sale, games, face painting, pie-in-the-face booth, concession stands, items for auction, raffles, apparel for sale, and much more.
Spirit Day runs from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Westlake High School, located at 825 Westlake Drive in Thornwood. For more information about the event, visit https://www.thetlcfoundation.org/wildcats-spirit-day.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/
