Local news
North students raise nearly $55,000 for family
The Restrepo family never expected such an outpouring of support.
"This is very overwhelming, and it's incredible," Santiago Restrepo said Monday morning after Norman North High School students presented the funds they raised to him.
The annual SPUD week, or Students Performing Unselfish Deeds, raised $54,800 for 4-year-old Javier Restrepo. Students wrote letters to local businesses and individuals soliciting donations. They also held several fundraisers throughout the past week that brought in thousands of dollars for Javi.
Javi Restrepo has leukemia and will have to take medications for the rest of his life. His father said the money raised will go toward his bone marrow transplant and liver transplant.
SPUD week began March 23 and featured fundraising events every day, including a battle of the sexes competition and a hypnotist.
Southern Comfort won the Battle of the Bands competition and Diversity won the Norman North Best Dance Crew dance contest, of which both events raised more than $1,000 each.
"It was really fun," freshman Rosemary Mahaffey said of her first SPUD week. "The whole school got into it and it's going to a great cause."
Junior Emily Stover said this year was an even better SPUD week than before.
"I think this was the best one I've seen," she said. "It was very well organized, well put together, and there was a definite theme."
No one had any doubts about the coherent theme of the week's activities when they walked into Norman North. Most of the walls were covered floor to ceiling in brightly colored paper showing the theme of Dr. Suess.
"They put a lot of effort into making the decorations," junior Emily Carter said. "It looks like the actual illustrations from a Dr. Suess book."
SPUD week committee chairs Jill Coleman, Bryce Deemer and Michael Williams also agreed this year's event was a success. School involvement was at an all-time high, Coleman said. The students exceeded their goal of raising $50,000 this year, and money is still coming in.
The Cinderfella men's beauty pageant was postponed due to inclement weather Friday and moved to 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the Norman North gym. Checks are also still coming in the mail this week, student council sponsor Candy McKinney said Monday.
The total from last week was announced at a final school assembly Monday morning in the gym.
Javi's father Santiago, the women's volleyball coach at the University of Oklahoma, and mother Heidi were on hand at the assembly to receive the check.
Heidi fought back tears as she expressed her gratitude for what students did.
"Beyond words" was how she described her emotions at the outpouring of love for her son.
Her husband said he and his wife had worried about not having any family to support them in Oklahoma or nearby states.
"But we soon realized that we do have a wonderful, loving family here in Norman and specifically at Norman North," he said.
Julianna Parker Jones 366-3541 jparker@normantranscript.com
- Local news
-
-
Norman High School revives ‘dead’ language
Diagnosed as a dead language, dying off with the Roman’s years ago, Latin has been resurrected at Norman High School. And the school’s Latin teacher, Erin Davis, is leading the renaissance....
-
Some parents say ‘no’ to shots
Every year, the shot vile for some students runs dry, with parents opting to exempt their children from the recommended school shots. Sending a handful of students to school, however, with out-of-date shot records isn’t an easy “A.” For ...
-
Visitors get in free today
Admission is free today to visitors of the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, 2401 Chautauqua Ave. The museum offers free admission the first Monday of each month, and in September, the first Monday also is Labor Day. The museum ...
-
Norman schools receive OPAT grant
Norman Public Schools recently received a fourth installment of a grant from Oklahoma Parents As Teachers, a voluntary parent education program, for the 2010-2011 school year, according to a news release....
-
Moore Norman Technology Center to host job fair
The Moore Norman Technology Center will host a job fair for At The Beach Tanning 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday at the Franklin Road Campus in the North Dining Area. Applicants for the company’s full-time positions should have some sales ...
-
Sooners mark 800th victory
It started with a simple shutout of a high school team. More than a century ago, the University of Oklahoma’s football program notched its first win in the record books with a 12-0 victory over Norman High in 1896. The win wasn’t big news ...
-
Future of SORC in doubt
OKLAHOMA CITY — After narrowly escaping closure earlier in the year, lawmakers say a state-run mental health facility faces tough odds of surviving the next legislative session....
-
Analyzing the ‘Switzer effect’ in primaries
Political pundits are saying that football icon Barry Switzer deserves a lot of credit for Jari Askins’ victory over fellow Democrat Drew Edmondson in the July primary election....
-
Holland: Stay informed
Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner Kim Holland said the federal health insurance reform act has many unanswered questions, and insurance agents and citizens who don’t stay informed do so at their own peril....
-
Sharp’s celebrates 50 years
Sharp’s Cleaners on Lindsey Street has been in business, in one shape or another, in Norman for the past half-century....
- More Local news Headlines
-
Norman High School revives ‘dead’ language
