10th Potter Cup Raises $40,000 to Fight Cancer

The 10th annual Potter Cup raised $40,000 for Alex's Lemonade Stand.

NEWTOWN SQUARE–In 10 years, an impassioned rivalry between Paxon Hollow Middle School and Haverford Middle School has raised nearly $300,000 to fight childhood cancer. Gillian Kocher, spokesperson for Alex's Lemonade Stand, said the Potter Cup raised over $40,000 this year. The competition is a best two-out-of-three for girls' basketball, boys' basketball and wrestling. Though Paxon Hollow took the Potter Cup home last year, Haverford took it back this year and swept all three competitions. Alex's parents, Liz and Jay Scott, appeared at the Potter Cup's pep rally—on Jan. 18, what would have been Alex's 17th birthday—to give students words of thanks and encouragement. The couple recalled Alex reaching her benchmark goals with her front-yard…

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Whiz Kid

Patch Whiz Kid of the Week: Cameron Mathes

Marple Newtown Patch highlights Paxon Hollow Middle School student Cameron Mathes, who is also a cancer survivor.

Each week, Marple Newtown Patch will seek suggestions from readers for individual kids, youth groups, teens, and even sports teams that wow us with their accomplishments. This week we highlight Cameron Mathes, a seventh-grade student at Paxon Hollow Middle School and a cancer survivor. Patch Whiz Kid of the Week: Cameron Mathes Whiz Kid's Age: 13 Whiz Kid's School: Paxon Hollow Middle School Whiz Kid's Accomplishment: Cameron is a childhood cancer hero and is an ambassador of Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation. Cameron spoke before hundreds of his peers at this year's Potter Cup about childhood cancer. And just recently he spoke after mass at St. Anastasia Church to promote a lemonade stand that his baseball team was hosting. Cameron has …

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Potter Cup 2012: Final Tally Over $38,000

Over $38,000 was donated towards Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation in this year's Potter Cup competition between Paxon Hollow and Haverford middle schools.

BROOMALL–Paxon Hollow Middle School recently announced the final amount donated in this year's Potter Cup with Haverford Middle School towards childhood cancer awareness and research. The tally: a whopping $38,645.19. According to Paxon Hollow Middle School teacher Michele Lunn, that makes the the grand total of $246,259 that have been donated over the years towards Alex's Lemonad Stand Foundation. Don't forget to view a photo slideshow of the day's event here. Can you feel the excitement in the video?

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Paxon Hollow Student Recognized as Childhood Cancer Hero

Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation recently recognized Paxon Hollow student Cameron Mathes as a childhood cancer hero and featured him as their guest blogger.

NEWTOWN SQUARE–Cameron Mathes, a cancer survivor and a Paxon Hollow Middle School student, was recently recognized by Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation as a childhood cancer hero. Mathes spoke before a crowd of Paxon Hollow and Haverford middle schoolers at this year's Potter Cup event at Haverford and shared his story of surviving cancer, inspring peers and teachers alike. Alex's Lemonade recently featured Mathes as a guest blogger on the foundation's blog site here. Below is the post he blogged: My school, Paxon Hollow Middle School, participates in the Potter Cup each year with Haverford Middle School to raise money for Alex’s Lemonade Stand. I had acute lymphoblastic leukemia when I was younger, and I wanted to share my experience with …

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Photo Gallery: Potter Cup 2012

Paxon Hollow Middle School faced off against Haverford Middle School in the Ninth Annual Potter Cup competition on Friday, Jan. 27.

HAVERTOWN–Both schools put up a good fight, but it was ultimately Paxon Hollow Middle School who beat out Haverford Middle School in the final few minutes of game time Friday during the wrestling match, making them champions of the Ninth Annual Potter Cup. The friendly competition, held each year between the two middle schools, raised more than $36,000 this year to support Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation For Childhood Cancer. Before the competition began, though, students and teachers—along with the Philly Phanatic—performed dance and cheer numbers to pump students up for the games. See the photo gallery above for a few shots of 2012's Potter Cup pep rally.

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Locals Run for Russell Student in Disney Marathon

Family and friends of the Marple Newtown community participated in the annual 26-mile Walt Disney Marathon in support of cancer survivor and Russell Elementary School student Charlotte McAuliffe.

Several members of the Marple Newtown community pledged to do the unthinkable–run 26 miles in Orlando, FL, in support of local 9-year-old student Charlotte McAuliffe, a cancer survivor. Charlotte, a third grader at Russell Elementary School, was diagnosed with brain cancer at the age of 3 but through rigorous treatment and approximately 17 surgeries, she's overcome her battle to the cancer. Ambassdors to Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, the McAuliffes have been involved with fundraising for childhood cancer over the years but this year was the first year the family has decided to run a marathon in support of Charlotte and childhood cancer awareness. And so the team, Charlotte's Lemonheads, of about 10 adults and six children–consisting of…

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Russell Goes Batty With Pumpkins To Benefit Childhood Cancer

Russell Elementary School students help make 'bat-o-lanterns' in support of student Charlotte McAuliffe, a cancer survivor.

BROOMALL–For the past week, about 100 Russell Elementary School students and teachers have gone batty–batty with pumpkins that is. In support of Charlotte McAuliffe and Charlotte's Lemonheads–a team consisting of family, friends and teachers in the district who have committed to run the 26-mile marathon in Walt Disney World for Alex's Lemonade Foundation in honor of Charlotte–kindergarten teacher Tracy Paine wanted to show her support in some way. After browsing through Family Fun Magazine, Paine stumbled upon a fun, Halloween-themed craft idea, bat-o-lanterns, to implement in her classroom but wanted to the project to help benefit childhood cancer–in recognition of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and former student Charlotte. Charlotte, …

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Lawrence Park Swim Club Hosts 7th Annual Swim-A-Thon

The club came together for Alex's Lemonade Stand on June 17.

BROOMALL–On Friday afternoon, the 7th Annual Swim-A-Thon for Alex's Lemonade Stand for childhood cancer began and ended on Saturday afternoon, after the Lawrence Park Swim Team, made up of Marple Newtown and Haverford residents, swam a combined 100 miles. The swimmers ranged in ages from 6 to 18 and a mile meant 64 laps, which means 6,400 laps were swam. The swimmers included everyone from national-class competitors to tiny novices competing for the first time. “This is a great weekend for our team,” said Lawrence Park Swim Team Coach Kathryn McKeone, a 2000 Haverford High graduate. “This is a social event as well as something that carries the importance of teaching the kids to think about other kids who may not be as fortunate as they are…

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News Next Door

Get Well Gabby Prayer Vigil Slated for Sunday

A Phoenixville girl battling cancer has affected many Marple parents and will participate in the vigil tomorrow at Reeves Park in Phoenixville.

PHOENIXVILLE–In mid-May, Phoenixville’s Gabriella “Gabby” Vogel was a typical 5-year-old. She loves playing on swings, listening to Justin Bieber, and playing with her two sisters. Then, she started losing her balance. She had trouble seeing. Now, she is in the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), diagnosed on June 8 with a rare form of cancer, Intrapontine Glioma. “It is malignant and explosively aggressive,” Gabby’s uncle Chris wrote on a “Get Well Gabby” Facebook page. “It extends through most areas of her brain, from her brain stem into her cerebrum. Without treatment, her condition will rapidly deteriorate and this disease will take her life in a few weeks.” Since the diagnosis, it’s been a bevy of tests, prayer and support …

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Bretany Pilko

8:47 pm on Saturday, June 11, 2011

This is my beautiful niece I wrote about last week in the MN Patch. Thanks for all of the well wishes and support!   more ›

Mom's Corner

When Tragedy Strikes Close to Home: What Do You Tell Your Kids?

It's hard being a parent. It's harder even still to try to explain to kids when someone close to them is sick or has passed away.

How do you explain the topics of sickness or death with your child? As a parent, it's something I try to avoid, but lately it seems that these subjects are all we hear about. Saturday afternoon, Joanie Logan, a beautiful three-year old angel was taken from our community. I don't know them personally, but my sympathies go out to her parents. I cannot imagine their pain or grief over this terrible loss. I can see just how many lives Joanie touched in her short life when I look on Facebook and see all the profile photos that were changed to a burning candle in her memory. I know that many of those people have young children who were Joanie's friends and family. As an adult, I have a difficult time dealing with my own grief. But as a parent, …

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