Fox Chapel Area School District raises big bucks for charity

Students in the Fox Chapel Area School District raised more than $95,000 in December for a local charity.

Students from all grades in the district’s six schools hosted fundraisers during a monthlong, districtwide campaign that culminated in the 33rd annual telethon fundraiser — dubbed Fox Fest — in the high school auditorium. The money raised will benefit Fox Families Care.

The telethon raised $95,638, according to district communications spokeswoman Bonnie Berzonski.

Originally scheduled for Dec. 23 to be livestreamed on the Swift Fox Media YouTube Channel, the threat of bad weather moved Fox Fest up a day to Dec. 22, but the event was streamed as scheduled on Dec. 23.

Fox Families Care is a nonprofit founded by school district parents in 2019 and dedicated to bridging the gap between the needs of families and children in the district.

The telethon included students and staff from Hartwood, Fairview, Kerr and O’Hara elementaries, Dorseyville Middle School and Fox Chapel Area High School.

It was co-planned and produced by students from the high school’s digital media production department and student government. It featured live music performances by members of the high school’s Busking Club.

Sophomore Wyatt Muller was a first-time Fox Fest participant, performing several ’70s themed songs on guitar with fellow Busking Club members before more than 800 students.

“It meant a lot to perform. I love playing music, and it’s fun to do with friends,” Muller said.

Junior Jack Lynch, president of the Busking Club, also performed and praised the entire student body for its fundraising efforts.

“I think it’s interesting that people can raise money for such a good cause and also have so much fun. Every club in the school is obligated to hold a fundraiser. It’s cool how we can be competitive raising money, but in a fun way,” Lynch said.

This year’s telethon theme was “You’ve Got a Friend in FFC,” and Fox Chapel Area senior and telethon volunteer Jimmy Hanna led the student design team for the annual telethon T-shirt.

“We created a ‘Toy Story’ shirt, and that theme was my inspiration,” Hanna said.

Courtesy of Jimmy Hanna

Fox Chapel Area seniors (from left) Joseph Thomas, Scarlett Luden, Patty Fernandez and Jimmy Hanna model the 2022 telethon T-shirt outside Foxes Den, a student-run retail shop at the high school. Hanna, who designed the shirts, said he was inspired by “Toy Story.”

Hanna, a member of the varsity basketball team, served as a referee during a students-vs.-teachers charity basketball game held on campus to benefit the telethon.

“I couldn’t play because I’m on varsity, but I was the ref, and it was a ton of fun and definitely my favorite part of the telethon,” Hanna said.

FCAHS Busking Club members Cian Conry, Jack Lynch, Patton Johnson, Wyatt Muller and Eddie Phelan-Vidal perform Thursday at Fox Fest. ⁦@TribLIVE⁩ ⁦@VNDNews⁩ ⁦@FCASD⁩ pic.twitter.com/6fEilCxj5b

— Joyce Hanz (@hanz_joyce) December 22, 2022

Telethon donations were matched $5 for every $1 donated through Dec. 23 by sponsors JENNMAR, Tamco Inc., Norman Ray Trust and the Cleveland Family Foundation.

To date, Fox Chapel Area students and staff have raised more than $1.1 million for various local and regional charities through Fox Families Care.

Among the awards distributed by Fox Families Care in 2022 were 43 scholarships for students to participate in more than 20 extracurricular activities, seven scholarships to graduating seniors pursuing higher education and 110 scholarships for students to attend four local summer camps. It provided holiday gifts to more than 300 kids through the annual Angel Tree Program, distributed more than 400 gently worn coats to families in need, distributed 137 Target gift cards to families to purchase Halloween costumes and provided new bedding items for 822 families in need.

The public still can make donations online at foxfamiliescare.org/donatenow.