By Julianna Parker Jones
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
