WESTMORELAND, N.Y.- The Bulldog community has gone above and beyond to support the Adopt-a-Charity Initiative. At the beginning of the 2023-24 school year, district administrators decided to focus on giving back. Every two months we have decided to adopt a local charity to educate the community about the organization and the individuals it supports.
For January and February, the district will adopt the Joseph Michael Chubbuck Foundation. In March of 2012, 20-year-old Joey Michael was diagnosed with a rare, aggressive form of cancer. At first, his family thought there was something wrong with his appendix, but emergency surgery lead them to find that his whole abdominal cavity was filled with cancer. Biopsies were taken immediately and sent to the top cancer treatment centers across the country. They found the tumor had a genetic mutation, mostly seen in a rare type of sarcoma known as Demsoplastic Small Round Cell Tumor Small (DSCRT), which is a pediatric cancer typically found in males.
Joey spent months at a hospital in Pennsylvania and then was transferred to another hospital in Texas, enduring multiple treatments and surgeries. After a 16 month fight, Joey passed away on August 1, 2013 at 22 years old.
Throughout those 16 months, the family took on many unexpected challenges. One of Joey’s wishes, was to start an organization that helped families who went through what his family went through. The Joseph Michael Chubbuck Foundation, formed in January 2015, provides financial assistance to cancer patients and their families-provides necessary equipment to hospitals, hospices, and treatment centers, supports cancer research and advocates for families/patients who need information and guidance. So far, they’ve donated $406,000.00 to families in need.
In January and February, the district will hold assemblies and conversations. Students and staff are encouraged to wear the color yellow to show support for the organization. Please join us for our Adopt-A-Charity Initiative!
To donate, click here.