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Community Corner

Shorewood Carries the Torch for the MACC Fund

New idea gets community in the spirit of giving and helps raise awareness of childhood cancer.

Have you been "torched?" There's still time.

The "Shorewood Games" originated in 1988 as a fundraiser for the MACC (Midwest Athletes against Childhood Cancer) Fund when Shorewood High School had a senior, Gus Rich, fighting childhood cancer — who as a guest director from Milwaukee School of the Arts, helped co-direct the musical AIDA last spring with Barbara Gensler. Shorewood continues to hold the games approximately every four years, which have grown to include many events and raised thousands of dollars. 

This year, a committee of students planning events is quite “fired up,” and has launched the first event of many to support the MACC Fund, called “Pass the Torch!” This event places the MACC torch to the front lawn of any community member who expresses interest (people can also arrange to have another family “torched”), with a donation of $25 per day with a maximum stay of two days made out to the MACC Fund. The “torchee” may decide where it should go next, or requests may be sent directly to advisor Lisa Bromley. Rumor is that high school Prinicpal Matt Joynt chose School Board President Rob Reinhoffer’s house.

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“It felt good to get that letter, ‘You’ve Been Torched,'" said senior Henry Cummings, whose house was "torched" last week. "It was great being asked.”

The torch started on the high school grounds last week, and has already traveled to five homes, with many more requests starting to come in from families, parents of alumni, and members of the community who would like to support the fund who don’t necessarily have children in the district.

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You can follow the torch and where it goes at Facebook.com/FollowTheTorch.

The “Pass the Torch” event was the idea of seniors Avery Anapol, Meredith Behm, Lily Blind, Alex Mackowski, junior Haley Lipo-Zovic, and advisor Lisa Bromley, high physical education teacher, after the group heard about the successful “You’ve been Fleeced” activities in Port Washington last year. That event put pink flamingoes in the yards of supportive families. 

“It’s great to see students being so supportive and joining the Facebook page and getting involved, too, and not just parents," Blind said.

The torch has started gaining momentum and has, like the Olympic torch, been passed from home to home in the community following the kickoff.

“It’s such a great feeling to see the breadth of community support — it is effectively raising awareness of childhood cancer beyond the school walls, and far in advance of the games," Joynt said.

According to Bromley, “The excitement of the students is really thrilling. You just sit back and let them go. It’s all done how they want it done.”

The team of students in charge of moving the torch says the fundraiser will continue “until the ground is so frozen we can’t install the torch.”  The games begin in March 8 with opening ceremonies and continue through March 22 for closing ceremonies.

You can see the torch pass by in the homecoming parade on Friday at 5 p.m., then come to the pre-game chili cook-off. Tickets are $1 for a sample cup, and $3 for a bowl. Local restaurant Oakcrest Tavern is submitting a chili, as well as the Foods II class. All contestants will get a ribbon for participating, and the MACC Fund will be the real winner from the event. 

The community is invited to participate in all of the events leading up to the games.

Save the date for the following events:

  • Chili cook-off: Oct. 5
  • Movie for MACC: Nov. 9
  • Pass-the-torch: Now thru March 8
  • Dollar campaign: Spring 2013

Opening ceremonies: March 8

  • Ms. Shorewood: March 8
  • Jailhouse rock: March 9
  • Sport-a-thon: March 15
  • Music for MACC: March 15
  • Spaghetti dinner: March 16
  • Raffle drawing: March 16
  • Locks at lunch: March 20
  • Buzz cuts for cancer: March 20
  • Lunchtime sports tournaments: throughout Games

-Volleyball

-Basketball

-Soccer

-Swim Relays

Contact lbromley@shorewood.k12.wi.us for more information on torching.

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