Southeast Bulloch High School’s National Beta and Key Clubs raisee $3,473.42 for the Gabe's Chemo Ducks program at Backus Children's Hospital in Savannah. The contributions from SEBHS will purchase 132 ducks, enough to provide a duck for each child treated for cancer at the hospital for at least two years.
Linda Fix, a co-advisor for the school’s Beta Club, said “All of the club advisors have expressed their admiration and appreciation for what these motivated young people accomplished in just eight days.”
The Chemo Ducks program provides a stuffed duck equipped with medical ports and a bandana to children who are treated for cancer. It also includes an educational DVD for parents. The ducks function both as an educational tool to help demonstrate procedures and as a comfort toy for the young patients.
Key Club Advisor Karla Anderson and Beta Club Co-advisors Bobbi Moreno and Linda Fix took students from both organizations to Backus Children's Hospital January 18 to learn more about the program.
“The trip really opened students' eyes to the importance of Gabe’s Ducks to children at the hospital, who have been diagnosed with cancer,” Fix said. “This motivated students to sell Duck Dollars which were then posted on the lunchroom windows.” Beta and Key Club members also asked the community to sponsor a Gabe’s Duck for $25.00 each.
The Backus Children’s Hospital is part of the Memorial University Medical Center in Savannah. It is the only children’s facility of its kind in southeast Georgia, and it serves children in a 30- county area that includes Bulloch County.
Pictured Top (L-R) Row 1: Lindsey Long, Callie Martin (Beta Pres.), Ethan Perkins (Beta Vice-Pres.), Holly Pargeon, Kayleigh Dyches. Row 2: Naomi Pevey, Baylee Barnard, Shelby Rice, Taylor Wilkes, Kayla Lanier, LeAnna Miller (Key Vice-Pres.), Crystal Nevius, Ashley Bohannan. Back row: Garrett Darsey, Charles James, Emily Oren, Nicole Oren, Dallas McClellan, Leahhy, Shelbi Johnson, Austin Weinkauf, Katy Burrell, Lindsey Crosby. Above – Duck Dollars line the windows of the Southeast Bulloch High School Cafeteria.
