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Post by momto4 on Nov 20, 2008 14:08:56 GMT -5
8-1 Karaoke-a-thon
Granger Eunice Chang Benefit
On Tuesday, November 25th, Team 8-1 will be involved in a karaoke-a-thon to support our fellow classmate, fourteen-year-old Eunice Chang. Last December, Eunice was experiencing severe migraines which led to many tests and ultimately a diagnosis of brain cancer. In the past eleven months, Eunice has undergone two surgeries and various forms of aggressive radiation and chemotherapy. However, the surgeries and treatments have not been successful in fighting off the cancer. Currently, Eunice is beginning a new round of chemotherapy with an experimental drug.
Throughout all of this, Eunice has been an inspiration to her peers, the staff, and the Granger community. She has never once complained, she has continued to keep up with her school work, and she has attended classes whenever possible. With our event, we are hoping to rally around Eunice by “Lifting our Voices” in support of her. Over the course of the last year, Eunice’s family has incurred astronomical medical bills that are still on the rise. Through our Karaoke-a-thon, we hope to give Eunice love and friendship as well as monetary support. Please join with us as we “Lift our Voices” for Eunice.
You can support Eunice by pledging an 8-1 student who will be collecting individual pledges through November 19. However, you may also pledge the 8-1 Team as a whole by mailing your donation to the Granger Middle School main office by Friday, November 21. We will be collecting pledges as a straight donation for the two hours of singing as opposed to a donation per song. Please make your checks payable to the Granger Eunice Change Benefit.
Thank you for your support. Please call Lynne White at 630-375-3937 if you have any questions.
Please mail or drop off your donation to the Granger Middle School main office:
Team 8-1 Eunice Chang Benefit Granger Middle School 2721 Stonebridge Blvd. Aurora, Il 60502
Thank you for your generosity, support, and thoughts. Sincerely, Team 8-1
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Post by momto4 on Nov 22, 2008 10:32:52 GMT -5
www.suburbanchicagonews.com/foxvalleysun/news/buchenot/1286596,2_6_5_FV20_JUDY_S1.article November 20, 2008 The Granger eighth-graders get it. It started with Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie , a book Granger Middle School team 8-1 read together as a class. Jordan Sonnenblick, the author, is a former teacher and wrote the story based on a true experience. The Rebecca Caudill award-winning book relates the tale of an eighth-grade boy and his school jazz group that decide to hold a benefit concert to help pay for his little brother's cancer treatments. The story was a blessing for Granger language arts teacher, Lynne White, because one of the students on her team, Eunice Chang, is struggling with brain cancer. "Eunice is a 4.0 student. She is the hardest worker on the team, very kind, very polite and very committed to academics," said Lynne. Eunice was diagnosed with the cancer last Christmas and underwent surgery and aggressive treatment. Two weeks before school started this year, she had more surgery and lost some peripheral vision. She is still receiving treatments but strives to attend school at much as possible. "This book has provided us with a comfortable talking point," Lynne said. "We read about the struggles of the character in the book and get some insight into what Eunice is facing. We are reading it for an academic purpose but it has provided us with a common ground for understanding Eunice's challenges." The students identified so strongly with the book that they wanted to have a fundraiser to help the Chang family with the high medical costs of Eunice's treatments. The 110 students have been collecting pledges for a two-hour Karaoke-a-thon on Nov. 25 from 1 until 3 p.m. at the school. Their goal is to raise $10,000 and at press time, they were halfway to that goal. The Granger Parent Teacher Student Association worked to get food donated for the event from local vendors, including Taylor Street Pizza, Jewel, Dominick's and Wal-Mart. Anyone wishing to donate to the effort can send their pledges in the name of "Granger Eunice Chang Benefit" to Granger Middle School, 2721 Stonebridge Drive, Aurora. Both students and teachers will be performing during the Karoke-a-thon. Lynne said the team 8-1 teachers will be taking the stage with a great rendition of "some song once we pick one. We are meeting next Sunday to rehearse." Lynne contacted the author to tell him how he inspired her students and he was very moved by their efforts. He has arranged a live web cam visit with the team in December so that they can share their story with him. These students already understand how important it is to support each other as a community. They get it. They care about each other and take action when someone is in need. There is strength in being a community that should be celebrated. buchenot@comcast.net
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Post by title1parent on Nov 22, 2008 19:16:14 GMT -5
I brought my check up on Friday after work.
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Post by momto4 on Nov 24, 2008 11:42:00 GMT -5
I brought my check up on Friday after work. I sent my check to school with my son Friday. It turned out to still be in his backpack this morning. I hope he'll turn it in today.
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Post by title1parent on Nov 26, 2008 7:54:50 GMT -5
www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/1300168,6_1_NA26_GRANGER_S1.article Kids singing their hearts out to helpGranger students raise funds for classmate through karaoke November 26, 2008 By TIM WALDORF Staff Writer It looked like Mikee Dilg, Brenden Hartegen and Alex Hagemaster didn't get the memo. Throughout the two-hour karaoke-a-thon their Team 8-1 classmates held in Granger Middle School's gymnasium Tuesday afternoon, the two cut-ups barely stopped dancing. To Hannah Montana's "If We Were a Movie." To the Jonas Brothers' "Gotta Find You." You name it, they danced to it. BY THE NUMBERS $11,277 Amount of money collect for Eunice Chang and her family by Granger Middle School's Team 8-1. $3,000 Amount collected by the rest of the Granger Middle School community. $2,000 Amount donated by Neuqua Valley High School's Kevin Meyer Memorial Foundation $500 Amount donated by Bear Necessities Pediatric Cancer Foundation for a "Eunice Spa Day" in which Chang and eight of her friends will be picked up by a stretch limousine and taken out for pedicures and such. Then it was their turn to rock the mike. So what sugary pop song did they sing? Well, the three adolescent boys sang a song sung by a teenage girl for a Disney Original Movie - Demi Lovato's "This is Me." "We though it would be fun," said Dilg. "It is a Camp Rock song," added Hartegan, "and Camp Rock is the best movie ever." Their unusual performance was but one of 50 or so planned for the karaoke-a-thon that benefited classmate Eunice Chang, who has been battling brain cancer for almost a year. That battle has left her family with astronomical medical bills - bills her classmates wanted to help pay. "I said, 'How do we tell people about Eunice?'" said English teacher Lynne White. "Lets us use our instruments - our voices." And so the karaoke-a-thon was born with the idea that, if each student asked 10 people to contribute $10 to the cause, they should be able to raise $10,000 for the Chang family. "We blew that away," White said. To begin the benefit Tuesday, the team presented Chang and her family with one of those giant checks for $16,277, and, at the time of the presentation, more money was still flowing in, as the rest of the school and the community in general were still contributing to the cause. Team 8-1 had collect more than $11,000 by itself. "It has just been an overwhelming outpouring of love," White said, "and it has really been very moving to see our kids step up for Eunice, and really with very little motivation for us." The whole thing was a bit overwhelming for Chang and her family, who watched the performances from the sidelines. "I never expected anything like this," Chang said. "I'm a little tired right now, but I'm having a lot of fun." As for the $16,000 check? "That's a lot of money," said Chang's mother, Irene. "We never expected it."
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Post by WeNeed3 on Nov 26, 2008 18:07:12 GMT -5
Wow, it's wonderful that even in this economy, people can dig deep and donate to a worthy cause.
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Post by momto4 on Feb 5, 2009 22:52:02 GMT -5
I heard that Eunice Chang died today ETA: on 2/6 I found out this was not true. A teacher's announcement to students was misinterpreted by some.
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Arwen
Master Member
Posts: 933
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Post by Arwen on Feb 5, 2009 23:24:08 GMT -5
Very sad. I am glad the Granger community was able to show them some love.
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Post by momto4 on Feb 8, 2009 15:44:16 GMT -5
All - it turns out that the information I received on Thursday about Eunice was not correct. But here is today's e-mail from the Granger principal. ============ It is with a heavy heart that we are writing to tell you that one of our Granger family members, 8th grade student Eunice Chang, passed away earlier this morning after an intense battle with brain cancer. Please take comfort knowing that when she passed, Eunice was surrounded by her family and loved ones. Her passing was very peaceful. Also take comfort knowing that you, the Granger community, were an incredible support to Eunice when she needed you most. The karaoke-a-ton, cards and letters, friendship, and thoughts have made all the difference in all of the challenges that she faced. Please take this weekend to draw on the love of your own family. Lean on them for comfort and support during this emotional time. In addition, should any student need additional support, Team 8-1 teachers, support staff, and administration will be available in the main office on Monday morning. Currently, funeral arrangements are being worked out by the Chang family. When we have all of those details, we will send them out on list serv. Blessings to you and your family for the rest of the weekend.
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Post by warriorpride on Feb 8, 2009 22:27:24 GMT -5
All - it turns out that the information I received on Thursday about Eunice was not correct. But here is today's e-mail from the Granger principal. ============ It is with a heavy heart that we are writing to tell you that one of our Granger family members, 8th grade student Eunice Chang, passed away earlier this morning after an intense battle with brain cancer. Please take comfort knowing that when she passed, Eunice was surrounded by her family and loved ones. Her passing was very peaceful. Also take comfort knowing that you, the Granger community, were an incredible support to Eunice when she needed you most. The karaoke-a-ton, cards and letters, friendship, and thoughts have made all the difference in all of the challenges that she faced. Please take this weekend to draw on the love of your own family. Lean on them for comfort and support during this emotional time. In addition, should any student need additional support, Team 8-1 teachers, support staff, and administration will be available in the main office on Monday morning. Currently, funeral arrangements are being worked out by the Chang family. When we have all of those details, we will send them out on list serv. Blessings to you and your family for the rest of the weekend. From the Granger email list: The visitation and service for Eunice Chang will be held on Monday (2/9) afternoon/evening. Biedelman-Kunsch Funeral Home 516 S. Washington Street Naperville, Illinois 60540 phone: 630-355-0264 Visitation is from 3:00-8:00 p.m. A funeral service will begin at 8:00 p.m. at the funeral home. All are welcome to attend. Eunice's body will be flown to Texas on Wednesday. The family will have a formal service and burial for her there on Thursday.
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Post by title1parent on Feb 10, 2009 6:12:49 GMT -5
[http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=270766&src=76/url]
Eighth-grader loses battle with brain cancer By Justin Kmitch | Daily Herald 2/10/2009
Even as her brain tumor continued to grow, 14-year-old Eunice Chang never stopped worrying about everyone else's well-being.
Chang, an eighth-grader at Indian Prairie Unit District 204's Granger Middle School in Aurora, died Saturday after a 14-month battle with brain cancer.
"The doctor said things were going really well in the beginning, but her condition went downhill really fast in the last few weeks," her sister, Katharine Chang, 19, said Monday. "But even as we could see she was deteriorating, she told us she felt fine and everything was OK because she didn't want to be a burden."
Chang said her younger sister was known for an "annoying prank" on occasion, but was an "awesome" little sister despite the 5-year age difference.
"If she were my age, I'm pretty sure she would be the best best-friend ever," Chang said. "Her friends always had a blast hanging out with her and I'm pretty sure their parents enjoyed her, too."
Eunice was also a favorite among her classmates and teachers at Granger. Principal Mary Kelly said Eunice's courage was an inspiration to her classmates.
"This wonderful little girl, when she first got sick in the middle of last year, her biggest concern was getting her homework done on time," Kelly said. "There was a time when Eunice was getting daily chemotherapy treatments and she still only cared about not missing school or her work."
Chang agreed.
"I'm pretty sure I would have laid down, said I was sick, and taken care of school work later," she said. "I was always amazed at her focus on school and her grades, despite her condition."
Eunice's classmates followed her condition, eager to get her back quickly when her condition worsened.
In November, Kelly said, classmates and staff knew Eunice's treatments were becoming a financial burden on the family, so on Nov. 25, they held a karaoke-a-thon to raise donations. At the end of the evening, Eunice's friends were able to give her mother $17,000 to help fund the treatments.
"We all really pulled together to help the family through a time," Kelly said. "And I know it meant a lot to Eunice."
Kelly said Eunice's classmates were warned a few weeks ago that her condition "was worsening and the fight was getting harder."
"I think we did a really nice job preparing the children for this day," Kelly said. "So of course everyone was very, very sad but no one was shocked."
A visitation and funeral service was held Monday evening in Naperville. Eunice's body will be flown to Texas on Wednesday and the family will have a formal service and burial for her there on Thursday.
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Post by sardines on Feb 10, 2009 15:05:33 GMT -5
Last night's memorial for Eunice was joyous and uplifting. Her family, friends, teachers and church members filled the room. Her teacher gave a heartfelt speech full of "Eunice" anecdotes.
The resounding theme was one of faith, joyfullness and inspiration. The young friends were encouraged to live life to its fullest, never be afraid to try new things and never stop appreciating the strange miracle of life.
Take chances, follow dreams, and always remember the 13 year- old smiling Eunice when someone asks you how you're doing. Her genuine response was always (even up to the end) "I'm just fine ...but how are you ?"
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