Tom Tolen / news@whmi.com

It's been announced that organizers of this year’s Senior Survivor Week at Brighton High School have raised a total of $86,000, with the proceeds going to "The Sunflower Project" and “Fund a Life”.

This is the tenth year that Brighton has participated in the Senior Survivor program, and this year 18 hand-picked seniors were involved. All are members of the National Honor Society, with their selection being based in part on teachers’ recommendations. Since the program was begun, nearly $600,000 has been raised for various charities and non-profit orgnizations.

The students held a plethora of events to reach the goal, including a Night at the Amphitheater in downtown Brighton, car washes and can and bottle drives. Various competitions were held during the week including Scavenger Night, Art Night, a Lip Synch Battle, and Baking Challenge.

Fund-a-Life was created by former student Mark Howell, who in 2012 was diagnosed with stage 4 melanoma. He was given only two weeks to live, but his friends, family, and the community worked to fund a treatment for him. Now, 12 years later, Howell is working to help other families in Livingston County. As of this year, Fund-a-Life has donated one million dollars to people in need.

The Sunflower Project was created by former student Hannah Palmer to help bridge the gap between students and mental health resources. Through her work Hannah and her team have helped students from kindergarten to twelfth grade to become better equipped to face the challenges of life.

This year, Team Black raised $18,500 through sponsorships and weekly sales. Team leaders Sage Bissett and Ryan Hemphill earned a place at the top of the Senior Survivor Pyramid.

Lead Principal Matt Evans said thanks should be given to Kensington Valley Varsity, which donated the screen printing for over 1,000 T-shirts. He said 25 other sponsors also generously contributed to the success of the effort. Evans also gave thanks to the students and staff…"for purchasing T-shirts, supporting teams and encouraging the craziness that is Senior Survivor Week.”


Photo:
Team Red: Luke Mazatis and Nathan Moskal
Team Orange: Carson Dinkelmann and Drew Ribble
Team Yellow: Alyssa Swanson and Mason Mullally
Team Green: Isabelle Seng and Sophia Rolfe
Team Blue: Maggie McKaig and Emma Johnson
Team Team: Ava Hasson and Liam Hasson
Team Purple: Aiden Tabaka and Boris Adames
Team Pink: Brooke Lampkins and Autumn Miller
Team Black: Sage Bissett and Ryan Hemphill