PUPILS of Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Plasmawr have raised £2,500 for the Alzheimer’s Society by hosting a charity zumbathon, with almost 500 children from years 7 to 9 taking part.
The whole school also had an own-clothes day – with a loose theme of onesies or pyjamas – in an energetic end to the half-term.
Songs played during the zumbathon included Sexy and I Know It by LMFAO.
Last year, the Fairwater school raised £6,700 for various charities and hopes to reach a similar figure this year, if not surpass it.
Year 7 await instructions from headteacher Mr Hayes
Headteacher John Hayes said he was proud of his pupils for taking such causes to their hearts.
He said: “It goes to prove again that if you raise awareness of a certain cause, young children will respond, and their families as well because this is all about getting families involved.”
The Alzheimer’s Society is the focal point of this year’s charitable efforts.
“We had a wonderful assembly at the beginning of the year to raise awareness of the good work that the charity does,” said Mr Hayes.
“What we’ve found is that most of our children are affected by Alzheimer’s – somebody in the family or a close family friend. We’ve had a fantastic response.”
Let the zumba commence…
Fundraisers Rhia Stankovic-Jones and Cheryl George attended the zumbathon on behalf of the Alzheimer’s Society.
For the past 18 months, Rhia has been working with local communities and organisations that want to become more dementia-friendly.
Cheryl said the zumbathon was just the start of a long relationship with Plasmawr.
“We’ve got other things in place later on in the year about raising awareness, getting rid of some of the fear and stigma associated with dementia. The students are running dementia friends sessions in November, and hopefully that will have a snowball effect and maybe the whole school could become dementia friendly.”
Pupils showing their support for the charity
The school supports a range of wide charities. As ever, male members of staff will be growing their facial hair for Movember. Other events include coffee mornings in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support. Last year, the school collected enough dry food, blankets, and clothing to fill a classroom during the Syrian refugee crisis.
You can get involved with the Alzheimer’s Society through fundraising, attending events or just donating.
Pupils showing their support for the charity
