From staff reports
While teenagers are not normally encouraged to stay up late and go without sleep, a local group of high school sophomores recently had a good excuse to do so.
During the Buckhead Relay for Life held at North Atlanta High School on April 27, 38 tenth graders represented the Lovett School as the “Lovett Sleepwalkers” to celebrate cancer survivors and raise money for the American Cancer Society. The students took turns walking or running tracks at North Atlanta and were able to keep at least one team member on the track at all times during the 12-hour marathon relay.
For their enthusiasm and participation, the teens received the event’s Team Spirit award. In addition, the students were recognized for raising the most amount of money of the more than 30 teams that participated in the relay. Through group projects, such as sponsoring a tenth grade party and selling concessions at Lovett athletic events, and donation solicitations from family and friends, the team was able to raise more than $32,000 prior to the kickoff of the relay.
The Lovett Sleepwalkers were comprised of members of Project Horizon, a tenth grade student and parent volunteer organization designed to encourage the development of leadership while performing monthly community service projects.
The relay team was ably led by student co-chairs Matt Hines, Jessica Martin, and Harrison Reeves. Nine of the 38 team members raised more than $1,000 apiece. In total, the students have raised almost $50,000 in the two years they have participated in the Buckhead Relay for Life.