By Ryan Manfre ‘25
On Thursday, Aug. 29, students paid $2 to dress down in relaxing and comfortable clothes. The cause was for Cure SMA. SMA stands for spinal muscular atrophy. SMA causes muscle weakness, and it can affect a person’s ability to walk, sit up, and control head movements. A person with SMA is unlikely able to run, jump, or stand up straight without support.
There are three types of SMA: Type 1, Type 2, and Type 3. People with Type 1 struggle to breathe and can not move very much. Type 2 people are not able to walk and use wheelchairs to get around. If you have Type 3, a person is able to walk with or without support.
There is no cure for SMA; however, there are treatments and trials by researchers to help find a cure.
August is the month in which SMA is recognized. The dress down was a huge success, as over $1,600 was raised for the SMA Foundation! The student council organized the event.
Student Council President Connor Stack said, “The dress down day was a huge success, one of the most successful dress down days in school history. I am happy that the school community was willing to help a good cause and the efforts of curing SMA.”
J.D. Maloney, Vice President of Student Council said, “This dress down day was awesome because all of the proceeds went directly to an organization that helps people affected by SMA. Also, we spread even more awareness with the iconic purple and orange bracelets. It is good for everyone that participated to know that their donations go to a tremendous cause.”
Dean of Student Life Mr. Prunckle said, “We were happy to host another dress down for Cure SMA this school year. It is a small way to show our support for one another when we support causes near and dear to our school community. We were very excited to have raised over $1,600 in just one day and hopefully we increased awareness of SMA.”
As a supporter and person with SMA, I helped out by giving out purple and orange wristbands after the students paid. I am thankful for the help to spread the awareness and the support.
The money raised will go to the Cure SMA organization hoping to find a cure for the disease. Thank you to all the students who participated in the dress down day as it was a huge success!
