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By Douglas McCulloch
Hometown Weekly Staff
Students at the Fisher School got a special surprise on May 12, as Red Sox center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. paid a visit to the school.
The impromptu visit was a result of the Fisher students’ participation in fundraising for the Rally for the Jimmy Fund. The fundraising contest is open to schools and companies in Massachusetts.
At the end of the fundraiser, the school and company that raises the most money wins the meet-and-greet with a Red Sox player.
Despite coming in second place after raising $6,088 for the Jimmy Fund, Bradley still visited the students at the Fisher School after the first place company, State Street Corporation, donated its visit to the school.
During the visit, Bradley paid a visit to several classes at the school, posed for photos, hosted a meet-and-greet, and met with the entire student body at an assembly. He also met with a third grade class that had raised the most money for the Jimmy Fund.
“We had all kinds of different activities to raise money,” said English teacher and Rally for The Jimmy Fund coordinator Carolyn McDonough.
McDonough noted the students came up with a number of unique ways to fundraise this year, including the “Change for a Cure” jars, plastic jars set up in each classroom for students to deposit spare change to benefit the charity.
Throughout the year other special activities were hosted to raise money from students and staff at the school, including a “Home Opener Day,” which encouraged staff members to donate to the school’s Jimmy Fund account to be able to wear Red Sox gear on the day of the Red Sox home opener.
“The students love getting involved in [the Rally for the Jimmy Fund,]" McDonough said. “It is a great learning experience for them.”
McDonough noted that the visit was a great way to reward the students of the Fisher School for their hard work raising money to benefit the Jimmy Fund.
“I am a passionate Red Sox fan, but I love the fact that [the visit] really gets kids so excited and motivates them,” McDonough said. “It really brings it home that working hard for a cause can be rewarding.”
In addition to raising money, students also organized events and activities to remember what they are fundraising for. In the lobby of the school, the school set up a “Green Monster Wall,” where kids can hang a picture of a friend or family member battling cancer on the wall.
