Between the fancy dresses and tuxedos, limo rides, and the actual event tickets, attending prom can be quite a costly affair. But the expense of the evening didn’t stop the students of Pine Ridge High School in Deltona, Florida, from wanting to help a much-loved teacher.
These class act teens donated not only a portion of their prom funds, but also they raised thousands of dollars to help Charlie Lundell, the popular math-rapping teacher battle lung and liver cancer. (A Dancing with the Teachers was one such fundraising event.) As FOX affiliate WOFL reports, the longtime math and college readiness teacher had to leave his position to undergo his third round of chemotherapy and radiation. On top of his rising medical costs, he and his wife are expecting twins, which is bound to increase the financial burden on them even more.
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“He really cares about helping people learn and really wants us to be our full potential,” said junior class president Katie Buday. “It’s one of the great teachers out there.”
Yahoo! News reports that another school teacher is also very ill and currently in the hospital, and so now students are fundraising for both educators. Despite the tragic situation, students said that their efforts have raised school spirits to an all-time high.