 TORONTO — Aron Brager, left, a teacher at United Synagogue Day School’s Beth Tzedec branch, fought back tears as he watched students at his school draw pictures and write messages in colourful chalk on the school playground.
Pastel happy faces and thoughts including “You rock!” “You can do it,”
and “I hope you get better soon” were created for children dealing with
childhood cancer as part of a project in collaboration with the
Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario (POGO) for Childhood Cancer
Awareness Month in September.
Pastel happy faces and thoughts including “You rock!” “You can do it,” and “I hope you get better soon” were created for children dealing with childhood cancer as part of a project in collaboration with the Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario (POGO) for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in September.
“They don’t even realize how unbelievable this is,” said Brager, a 26-year-old gym and computer teacher, who had skin cancer as a teenager and has been cancer-free for seven years. “This is pretty inspiring to me.”
The branch’s involvement with POGO isn’t new.
Last year’s student council made the organization its annual fundraisingproject. Students sold flashlight keychains and participated in a “runathon” to raise money for POGO. The run-athon, held at the school, was called “Run for a Child who Can’t.”
They raised $6,000, far exceeding their goal of $1,000.
Brager has “really given relevance and meaning to raising the money,” said Carole Traister, a Grade 2 and 3 general studies teacher who also serves as elementary school student council adviser.
“When the children found out that he was a cancer survivor and that cancer can be beaten, I think it rejuvenated our push for raising funds,” she added.
More recently, parents showed up early at the school on the morning of Sept. 22 to draw hopscotch outlines on the playground and write messages of their own to kick-start the September project.
USDS was one of about 30 schools province-wide to take part in the project. Leo Baeck Day School was also involved.
“Our school is really big on promoting community service and community work, and teaching kids the importance of giving to the community,” Traister said. “As much as we promote academic excellence, we also promote giving back to the community.”
Julie Grammer and Talia Aaron, both Grade 2 students of Traister’s, wrote separate messages saying, “I hope you feel better.” Talia said she wanted children in the hospital to smile and feel good.
Hannah Lefton, 7, said she likes to play hopscotch, and also to help people. Her mother, Bonnie, said she is “just happy to work in affiliation with any organization that helps children.”
 Jake Greenberg, right, a Grade 3 student who enjoys playing hockey and being with his friends, wrote, “I hope cancer gets beaten.”
Brager added his own message, in bold capital letters: “Never give up!”
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