National Honor Society lends support to MDA

Teresa Montaneri
Reporter

This week, the National Honor Society (NHS) will be selling shamrocks for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) during lunch. The school got involved with the fundraiser at Mr. Pavia’s suggestion.

”Mr. [James] Lacerenza has family in town  and has solicited local schools to support the MDA,” NHS Faculty Advisor Roger Hansell said. ”Whenever a request for community service comes to me, I forward it to the National Honor Society Student President or Vice President. They then contact the membership and organize the fundraiser.”

The school has been involved in the fundraiser for three years now. ”Last year, NHS raised and contributed $112.40,” Mr. Hansell said.

Green shamrocks will be sold for $1 and gold shamrocks for $5. All proceeds will go to benefit the dreams of James Lacerenza and the dreams of children with neuromuscular diseases all over the state of Connecticut. Once purchased, the shamrocks will be put up for display on a bulletin board in school.

Five years ago, James Lacerenza was a senior at Stamford High School who wanted to make a difference. Recognizing the limited amount of community outreach around him, he decided it was time to take matters into his own hands.  He sat down with two of his teachers to begin a project that through the years has benefited hundreds of families in Connecticut.

James, who now attends UConn-Stamford, began volunteering at a young age, at the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA), a voluntary health agency located in Hawthorne, New York that funds nationwide research for the forty-plus group of neuromuscular disorders known as Muscular Dystrophy.

After the discussion with his teachers, James raised money to send children with Muscular Dystrophy to summer camps sponsored by the MDA. The summer camps are designed specifically for children living and fighting against neuromuscular diseases.

Children with these diseases are faced with limited mobility as well as limited abilities to walk and talk; many of them are in wheelchairs for a majority of their lives. But at the MDA summer camps, the limits placed on children with neuromuscular diseases fade away. They are able to partake in activities like swimming, boating, baseball, football, horseback riding, arts and crafts, talent shows and more. ”They do everything you’d expect at a normal summer camp,” James said.”I hate to say normal though, because what the heck is normal these days.”

During one of James’ visits to the camp, he recalls being told that if a child in a wheelchair desires to go swimming, they can actually be lifted into the water with help from camp counselors and float.James explained how this benefited the kids. ”Their muscles get so regenerated,” he said.

James, diagnosed at birth with a condition called Cerebral Palsy, relates to the kids at the camp. ”Being in a wheelchair [myself]and having cerebral palsy, I understand the frustrations these kids feel,” he said.

He also indicated that these summer camps create a fun environment where the children can work through challenges. ”That’s the beauty of the camp, it makes the coping process a lot easier,” James said.

In addition, the children are given opportunities to develop lifelong friendships and build self-confidence. ”It’s a real bonding experience for them,” he explained.

With great dedication, James has been able to line up sponsors from small and large companies. He has begun frequenting the television and radio as well, getting the word out about children’s lives that are just waiting to be touched. “Any media attention or awareness we can get is very important,” James said.

It costs $800 to send one child to the camp. “We don’t ask the families [of the children we send]for anything,” James said. “The support I get from the public is so vital.”

Since 2005, James and friends have raised $66,576 and have been able to send 86 kids to camp.

This year, James’s goal is to fund the entire camp and send all the children who wish to go, which will cost $56,000. However, his goals do not stop there. “Goal number two is to not have this camp anymore; it is to fund research to find a cure,” James said.

If you are interested in finding out more about James and his cause or if you would like to make a separate donation, be sure to check out his Facebook group “Help James Lacerenza’s Dream Come True for ‘Jerry Kids,’ or his website www.mdactkids.org.