Throughout the month of February, Salisbury Middle School students and staff will participate in “Pennies for Patients” to support the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

During an assembly Jan. 26, students learned more about the disease from Terri Dressler, outreach assistant at the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in the Lehigh Valley.

Dressler said very three minutes, someone is diagnosed with a blood cancer.

Through demonstrations and a presentation, students learned both children and adults are battling blood cancer and research is needed to find a cure.

Students and staff were also glad to meet Coco and Ali Lazaridis who talked about the importance of research.

Coco is a student at Western Salisbury Elementary School. She was diagnosed with blood cancer as an infant and received a bone marrow transplant.

Today, she is doing great, has a dog named Bella, has two younger siblings, loves to do gymnastics, loves pizza and can walk on her toes. She attended the assembly to meet with students and answer questions.

The school has set a goal of $1,000 to present to the Leukemia & Lympoma Society and have set some benchmarks for the students.

When the funds reach $500, Principal Ken Parliman and Assistant Principal Robert Sawicki will dress up as “Where’s Waldo.”

When the funds reach $750, Parliman and Sawicki will be taped to a wall.

When the goal is reached of $1,000, supposedly teachers will either shave their heads or color their hair.

To reach these goals, several events are planned.

Every Friday, students are encouraged to bring in loose change. The classroom with the most change at the end of the event will win a pizza party.

Students will also be selling bracelets and can also raise money online under their names.

Students who raise $25 online will receive a ticket to see the 76ers play. Students who raise $100 online will receive a special T-shirt.

For more information on this fundraising effort, talk with a middle school student or call the school at 610-791-0830.