Recently many students in our school have been affected by the diagnosis of Leukemia in our friend and classmate, junior Amelia Knopp. As a way to help Amelia and other people in the world battling Leukemia, a group of students in our school have joined a fundraising campaign, named Amelia’s Army in honor of Knopp, through the Leukemia and Lymphoma society. The campaign runs over the course of seven weeks, taking place from Jan. 20-Mar. 11.

“The ultimate goal is to raise money to cure cancer,” team leader Maura Wiens said. “It’s a fundraising competition against other teams in the Wichita area and western Kansas.”

The team will be holding fundraisers around Manhattan High School and the Manhattan community. Along with this the team is advocating for corporate sponsorships to help with reaching the team’s goal of $30,000 by the end of the campaign period. Within the first 24 hours of the campaign, Amelia’s Army raised $5,000, which is 20% of the end goal. On Jan. 26 the team held a fundraiser at Chipotle, raising $556. 

On Friday, Amelia’s Army will be holding another fundraiser at the MHS basketball game, where they will have a booth and do a miracle minute. A miracle minute is when a group discusses their mission and encourages those in attendance to donate to their cause. 

“There’s about 10 teams we’re competing against,” Wiens said. “We’re just trying to raise more money than the other teams.” 

According to Wiens, a program like this takes more than just those on the team, it takes all of us in the school and community. 

“[People] can help by donating, raising awareness and spreading the word,” Wiens said. “We have a website that will give you the place to donate.”