Merrick Avenue Middle School students shattered previous fundraising records for the St. Jude Math-A-Thon, soaring past $8,000 for the first time in a decade since the school began participating.
    
“We kicked off the event on Pi Day (March 14) under the premise that ‘MAMS Gives Back for Pi Day,’” said Mathematics Department Chair David Gunder about raising engagement and awareness for the fundraiser.
 
Matt Rockensies, an eighth-grade honors math student, raised the most - $560 – for completing online mathematical problems.
“I set an original goal of $250, but everyone in my family contributed and I doubled it,” he said.

Eighth-grade honors math student Christina Lafkas raised $200 for the event, participating for the first year and surpassing her fundraising goal.

“I want to be a doctor when I grow up and work with kids, so this encouraged me to raise money for St. Jude’s,” she said.

The Math-A-Thon is an education-based fundraising program supporting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.