Charleroi seniors help the community

By TAYLOR BROWN

tbrown@yourmvi.com

The Charleroi Area High School Class of 2020 Executive Committee will be remembered as selfless in the face of adversity.

On Friday, the group of nine girls donated fundraising money intended for senior class trips and activities to four organizations in the community.

Senior class sponsors Marianne Russo and Kim Palonder said they couldn’t be prouder.

“Since they were freshman, this group raised money to support events like homecoming, prom and other special moments throughout their senior year for their classmates,” she said. “Unfortunately, this year is a lot different because a lot of those things are not possible.”

When Russo and Palonder told the committee the money would have to be spent before the end of the school year, they decided to give more than $5,000 to their community.

Committee President Jamie Protz said it wasn’t a hard choice.

“With the current circumstances, it was easy to decide where our money wanted to go,” she said.

On Thursday, the group donated $858 to the Harvest Bounty program in the Charleroi Area School District. The food program provides backpacks of food for students to take home each weekend and has continued throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Friday, three more organizations each received $858 — Monongahela Valley Hospital in Carroll Township, J.K. Tener Library in Charleroi and Fresenius Kidney Care Mon Valley in Speers.

MVH received $858 to purchase new wheelchairs and a separate $1,500 to purchase masks and gowns.

The library will use the $858 for various programs and community resources, and Fresenius Kidney Care Mon Valley will use the donation to support its patient food bank.

The committee spent $192 to purchase a brick with members’ names on it through the Charleroi Area Education Foundation’s “Buy A Brick” fundraiser.

Committee Vice President Tori Rocca said it’s important to give back.

“I think it’s important to show our appreciation to those who support us,” she said. “If we had to spend the money, we wanted to make sure it went to something important.”

Treasurer Emma Valla agreed.

“We wanted to give back to the people who are risking their own lives to help everyone in the community during all of this,” she said. “It has been difficult for us, working so hard toward our senior year and not getting to enjoy a lot of the special things that come along with it, but it helps knowing that we are able to do something good.”

Protz said it is about spreading positivity.

“We are disappointed about the things we are missing out on, but we are trying to stay positive and spread positivity through our class and community,” she said. “We can’t change what is happening, but we know the organizations we are giving to could really use it.”

Palonder said the girls could have decided to go a different route — but they didn’t.

“They could have wallowed in their misery or said ‘Hey, let’s take this money and buy gift cards for the class,’ but they didn’t. It never once crossed their mind to use this for themselves. That is the type of people these girls are and the type of student body they represent.”

Russo called the group “selfless.”

“That is the best way to describe the committee as a whole,” she said. “They have had to overcome so much more than just COVID-19, and they have handled every obstacle with ease and grace. It’s not at all surprising that this is how they decided to spend the money they have spent years fundraising for.

“It’s who they are.”

Palonder said the class is resilient.

“Listening to this group, they have not once let this keep them down,” she said. “They are finding ways to make lemonade out of lemons, and this is not just a one-time thing.

“That is just the character of this group, of this class, as a whole. They are good people with good hearts and it speaks volumes about who they are.”

Russo and Palonder are proud to sponsor the Class of 2020.

“To say we are proud is an understatement,” Russo said. “They are all really struggling and sad about how their senior year is ending, but amid their own personal grief they have come together to continue to help others. I tear up every time I think about how good these kids are.”

Making up the Charleroi Area High School Class of 2020 Executive Committee are President Jamie Protz, Vice President Tori Rocca, Secretary Ashleigh Foster, Treasurer Emma Valla and members Alix Rongaus, Abby Raicos, Bella Skobel, Kate Wagner and Josie Protz.