What is Spike?
Spike For A Cause was on November 3rd, 2023; it was a district wide volleyball event that raised money for the Alzheimer’s Association. There was an Elmwood Elementary team, John Mills team, Elm Middle School team, and two EPHS teams. They all battled it out for the chance to win the traveling trophy. Winning the trophy meant that the building principal would have to sing karaoke at the next assembly. The losing principals will be getting pied.
Participants
The whole district participated at this event. John Mills and Elm had amazing supporters who chanted all night long. Elmwood Elementary put up a good fight against John Mills but lost in the first round. Elm Middle school had a lot of support from their students as they beat EPHS in the first round. Finally, EPHS had lots of fans showing their home field advantage.
Co-Chairs
Rayan Lahlou-nabil and Nicole Taha worked extremely hard on this event since June, getting sponsors, figuring out when the teams should play, determining how long each team should play, and ensuring that everything was right. When asked if Spike for a Cause was as successful as they hoped, if there was a high attendance rate at the games, and how they felt about the Alzheimer’s association, they replied…
Rayan Lahlou-Nabil:
“Spike for a Cause was genuinely better than we could have ever imagined. Nicole and I wanted to expand this event as we knew our community and schools needed something to bring everyone together and understand the importance of supporting the Alzheimer’s Association.
“The amount of community involvement including the sponsorships from local businesses, teacher participation, administration approval, and the number of supporters were truly remarkable. Thank you to everyone who made this event possible! While Nicole and I won’t be back next year, we are excited to see the future and growth of Spike For A Cause. Thank you again!”
Nicole Taha:
“Ever since last year, Rayan and I have been brainstorming ideas on expanding Spike For A Cause, with the goal of making it district-wide! We knew it wouldn’t be easy and would require a lot of time and dedication, but it was all SO worth it. The event was even more successful than I ever anticipated it to be. We had so much support from the district and businesses in the local community and got to not only meet, but drastically exceed our goals! I am very proud of the Elmwood Park community and super grateful for all the support in putting light on such an amazing cause that we and millions of people hold so close to their hearts worldwide.”
The Winner
In the finals, it was John Mills vs Elm Middle School. It was a close match, but in the end, Elm Middle School pulled through and won the championship.
Congratulations, Cougars!
Spike for a Cause raised $9,000 for the Alzheimer’s Association!
This was very impressive as this was only the second year! The goal according to advisor, Karen Bear, is “to continue uniting the community and supporting such a great cause”. Make sure you come out and support your school next year!!
Spike For A Cause was an amazing event. It was super successful. Thank you to all of the participating teachers who came out for the event.
Works Cited:
- Karen Bear, personal interview. 3 November 2023.
- Nicole Taha, personal Interview. 10 November 2023.
- Rayan Lahlou-nabil, personal Interview. 10 November 2023.
