Oct. 3, 2023 - As September came to an end, Comal ISD campuses wrapped up Go Gold campaigns for Childhood Cancer Awareness with amazing results. In fact, the total of three campaigns combined raised more than $10,000 for two childhood cancer organizations, the Seth Strong Foundation and the St. Baldrick’s Foundation.
Two of the three campaigns concluded with staff and student fun at Pieper Ranch Middle School and Spring Branch Middle School including head shaving, duct taping and more for a total of $2,151 raised at PRMS and $981.46 raised at SBMS.
The third campaign was spear-headed by the all-senior Homecoming Court at Pieper High School which raised $7,001.00 and presented a check to the Seth Strong Foundation at halftime of its first homecoming game on Sept. 22.
“We are thrilled to have our school community help us support families going through a life-threatening illness of a child,” says Sarah Permenter, one of the founders of the Seth Strong Foundation and a Comal ISD staff member. “We look forward to continuing to offer support to local families with generous donations such as this. In the spring, we will offer scholarships to graduating seniors at Smithson Valley High School and to this year’s first graduating senior class of Pieper High School and Hill Country College Preparatory High School.”
A local non-profit, the Seth Strong Foundation was founded in 2018 by the Permenter family, whose son, Seth, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma at the age of 10, and a group of Comal ISD mothers from Bill Brown Elementary School who wanted to support them.
Seth Permenter, now 17, is an 11th-grade student at Smithson Valley High School and continues to fight his cancer diagnosis which was originally made seven years ago on Nov. 22, 2016. This past year, he underwent a heart valve replacement as well as having part of his lung removed.
Seth, however, refuses to let cancer define him. He is as an athletic trainer at SVHS and is involved in FFA, his church youth group and serves as the Foundation’s intern.
The Foundation’s next event and fundraising opportunity is its annual Halloween 5K at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, at Bulverde Spring Branch Activity Center. Register here.
Learn more about the Seth Strong Foundation here.
-Members of the all-senior Homecoming Court at Pieper High School presented a check to the Seth Strong Foundation during halftime of the homecoming game on Sept. 22. Pictured from left is Sam Cornett, Edward Lin, Reece Madigan, Savannah Reyes, Teniele Fountain with the Foundation, Lincoln Soos, Ryan Drury, Sarah Permenter with the Foundation, Morgan Elliott, Gabriella Botello, Desire Aguirre and Declan Harrison.
-Spring Branch Middle School hosts a week-long campaign to raise funds for Childhood Cancer Awareness. Pictured from left is coach Carlos Gamio, school resource officer Alvaro Serna and super substitute Jeff Washburn who stepped up to have their heads shaved by students during lunch to raise funds.
-Pieper Ranch Middle School staff members participated in the campus’ Go Gold Day, Sept. 22, to raise awareness and funds for Childhood Cancer Awareness. Teacher Trey Milton, pictured here, joined in on the fun, taking a pie in the face.
-Pieper Ranch Middle School coach Rick Mendez was duct taped to the wall during the campus’ Go Gold Day on Sept. 22.