STAC Hosts Carnival Against Cancer

By Michele Piscitelli

           It was a fun, fabulous and yet serious fund-raiser. On Friday, April 20, St. Thomas Aquinas College hosted Carnival Against Cancer. The county-wide event held to raise support and awareness for children with cancer was organized by Rockland Colleges Cares--which is made up of STAC, Dominican College, Rockland Community College, and Nyack College.
          All the money raised at the carnival, which ran from 4 to 10 p.m. on the front lawn of STAC, was donated to Project Ladybug at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Paterson, NJ.. This is an organization founded by Dina Manzo in 2007 and it is dedicated to the support of children with cancer.
          Daniela, a STAC student working at the carnival, stated, “we have raised so much money for this cause, I’m surprised everyone has been very generous with their donations.”
          Anne Moore, head of STAC activities, commented enthusiastically, “though donations are still coming in (and being accepted!) we do not have an official number as of yet, but we are currently at $6000 raised for Project Ladybug. This money will go a long way to helping give children with cancer a better life as they are undergoing treatment.”
          The carnival had an amazing turnout, with crowds of people throughout the event. Families from the community joined students and college staff in enjoying the festivities and supporting the cause.
          A father from New City who brought his kids commented, “I thought this was a great event to take my kids to on a Friday night. It’s fun and different and I’m able to keep my kids entertained while helping a great cause. I made a donation because my father died of cancer and this cause if close to my heart.”
          It only cost $10 to get in and that price covered all the entertainment including snacks, games, a “Carnival Against Cancer” t-shirt, and 5 tickets. More tickets were available for purchase, which was a good idea because once people got involved in the fun they did not want to stop. Some of the activities offered were a tie-dying shirt table, carnival games, snacks like cotton candy and popcorn, and a DJ with a stage for people to dance on.
          Keeley Bateman, a student who attended, said, “I loved that they had a DJ, because I am not a huge fan of carnival games, but I still had a great time.”
          Overall, the event was a huge success. Hundreds of people from the colleges, their families and friends attended to support the fight against cancer. In addition to the money raised from the admission and tickets sold, many extra donations were made from the public. Project Ladybug will definitely be please with STAC’s contribution to their charity.  
   
Michele Piscitelli is a junior at St. Thomas Aquinas College majoring in Communication Arts.