Ranney Community Makes a Difference

Raise Your Voice for 180 Concert a Labor of Love

Senior Grace Farren’s recently organized her own fundraising event, "Raise Your Voice for 180!”, raising funds for 180 Turning Lives Around and its children’s art therapy program, Amanda’s Easel. 180 Turning Lives Around is a Monmouth County-based non-profit organization that serves victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence. Its program Amanda’s Easel helps children cope with abuse by expressing themselves through art.

When Grace learned about 180 through a friend who had lived with domestic abuse, she took the organization’s mission to heart, first developing her own charity called Grace’s Gift, whose sole purpose is to raise funds for 180. She designed and sold t-shirts carrying the message: "I am loved, I am respected, I have a purpose, I am strong." Grace sold the t-shirts at school and community events and gave the proceeds to Amanda’s Easel.

Then on October 17 Grace held a benefit concert, which she created and organized herself. The Raise Your Voice for 180 concert featured young local musicians at Asbury Park’s Stone Pony, including Ranney School’s own talented Tor Miller Band. Grace also corralled over 30 teen volunteers to sell $10 tickets to the event at schools throughout the county. The concert was huge success, not only raising much needed funds for 180 Turning Lives Around, but also heightening public awareness about the problem of domestic abuse and sexual violence.

In a recent Asbury Park Press article, Cindi Westendorf, program coordinator for Amanda's Easel, expressed her appreciation for Grace’s efforts saying "… it was a really nice connection that she used her creativity to come up with this, (because) the whole focus of Amanda's Easel is on the creative process."

Grace plans to continue her charity work, even as she looks forward to graduating in 2011and to attending college next fall.

Ranney Joins the Ranks of Cancer Walk Participants

More than 12,000 runners and walker turned out on Saturday, October 17 in Point Pleasant, for the annual American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk, among them a strong and dedicated team from Ranney School, including students, faculty and staff. Not only did the Making Strides event exceed all expectations, raising $1.1 million, but the Ranney team surpassed its own goal, raising $2,356 to support the fight against breast cancer. This Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk, which was covered by three local radio stations, the Asbury Park Press and two county TV stations, continues to be the largest American Cancer Society walk in New Jersey.

The Ranney team was lead by Alexa Volpe, Cierra Horsting and members of THINK, with many students walking in honor of former Ranney history teacher Linda Abrams. The team was very visible presence in their pink shirts, bearing the slogan “Pink Out – Fight Like a Girl!”, which were sold prior to the walk during Fall Festival. In acknowledgment of the team’s efforts, Dr. Lawrence Sykoff, Head of School, awarded the walkers a Pink Panther dress down day on October 18.

Thanks to the commitment of the following participants, the 2010 Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk was a phenomenal success:

Faculty and Staff:

Dr. and Mrs. Lawrence Sykoff, Dr. Nicole Martone, Christine Repoli

Parents:

Tony and Amy Shay, Karen Torpey, Dr. Tanya Randall-Oladeji

Students:

Anike, Ayodele and Olukayode Oladeji, Ashleigh and Alexandra Shay, Alexa Volpe, Cierra Horsting, Anisha Prasad, Kendall and McCall Torpey, Louise and Brianna Cerami-Guarino, Kaitlyn Bovino, Sarah Bartosh, Brynn Bresnahan and Madison Price

For additional information on all Ranney School news, please contact the Communications Department at communications@ranneyschool.org.