By Sarah Kuper
At least 300 Over the Mountain preschoolers and their parents ate breakfast with favorite princesses and superheroes as part of Vestavia Hills High School’s Relay for Life fundraiser.
High school volunteers dressed as Disney princesses and comic book heroes, posed for photos and signed autographs during the event, held Feb. 24. Area merchants donated coffee, doughnuts and breakfast sandwiches. The event, which raised more than $4,500, benefitted the Children’s of Alabama oncology department.
One of three sponsors for this year’s fundraiser, Hanna Nall, said the event accomplished one big goal.
“We always involve middle and high school students in a big way and this event helped even younger children and their families be a part of Relay for Life,” she said.
This was the second year for the breakfast, and student organizer Maggie Mince said the event doubled in size.
Mince and other Relay for Life leaders worked hard promoting the event to area preschools, day cares and churches.
She said the breakfast raised awareness and money for cancer research, but it also brought a lot of joy to local children.
“What a cool way to give kids a special experience, especially if their family can’t afford to go somewhere like Disney,” she said, “It is a similar experience with photo backdrops and autograph books.”
Ultimately, the goal of the event and all of the school’s Relay for Life events is to fund cancer research, but participating students gain a lot from their experiences planning and executing the fundraisers.
“Planning the breakfast gave me responsibilities I wouldn’t have had without this leadership position. Plus, it was cool to see high schoolers get involved with young kids and to see how much fun the kids had,” she said.
Nall predicts organizers of next year’s breakfast will need to find a bigger space to host the festivities.
The Princess and Superhero Breakfast is just one of several events leading up to the Vestavia High School Relay for Life on April 14.
Last year the school raised more than $280,000. ❖