
Staff photo.
Students applaud their cancer surviving classmatesduring a Rise Kick-off Assembly at Vestavia Hills High School in 2019.
Following the long history of Vestavia Hills High School students raising money for charity, the RISE campaign at the school this year will include several events to raise money for the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center.
RISE stands for “Rebels Impact through Service and Engagement.” Vestavia students also raised funds for the cancer center last year. RISE funds go specifically to the new Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology Program.
This year’s RISE events will involve 295 student leaders, 20 committees, more than 1,000 students on 60 service teams, all seeking to raise more than $200,000 in three months, said Kym Prewitt, a teacher who works with the student leaders of the RISE campaign.
On April 16, the school will host RISE Day, a celebration of all of the prior events and fundraising efforts, where the total amount raised will be revealed.
“The monetary goal will no doubt be reached, but the totality of the results will be much greater than that,” Prewitt said. “There will be tears of joy for a job well done in reaching their goal, but that will only be the beginning of the story.”
RISE events this spring include:
► Jan. 14, Kick-Off Assembly: 1 p.m. in the Vestavia Hills High School new gym.
► Jan. 31, Sadie Hawkins Dance: 8- 11 p.m., old gym (for Vestavia Hills High School students only).
► Feb. 22, Character Meet & Greet: 8:30-10:30 a.m. new gym (open to children from the greater Birmingham community).
► Feb. 29, Music on the Mountain (Concert for a Cure): 7-9 p.m. Mountaintop Community Church, featuring Walker Burroughs with Emma Klein.
► March 14, Rebel 5K & Fun Run: 8 a.m., high school front parking lot (open to runners everywhere).
► April 1, RISE Games Assembly: 1 p.m. at new gym (student body only).
► April 16, RISE Day: 4-10 p.m. at the school (open to community).