This year marked the 15th anniversary of S.P.U.D. week at Canyon High School with Students Performing Unselfish Deeds (S.P.U.D.) in support of a fellow seventh grade student at Church Hill Middle School.
The week-long tradition of fund-raising events sponsored by the CHS Student Council culminated with a celebratory pep rally for 12-year-old Serena Alfaro on Friday, March 6, where she, along with her mom, Jennifer Lizama, were presented with a $22,184 check.
Born with mitochondrial disease, Serena has undergone many surgeries throughout her life including a recent one in June 2019, and the monetary support will help alleviate some of the cost of her medical bills. In addition, $1,000 was donated to the United Mitochondrial Disease
Foundation in her name.
Serena was surprised, honored and grateful to be chosen as this year’s S.P.U.D. week recipient and enjoyed being part of one of the week’s biggest events, a combined middle school dance with every middle school in the Canyon High feeder pattern in attendance including CHMS, Canyon Middle School and Danville Middle School.
Besides the dance, annually money raised throughout the week comes from a variety of events such as t-shirt sales, volleyball and basketball tournaments, swim relays and more. This year, community sponsors included Chick-fil-A at WestPointe, ACP Technologies, Mitchell Custom Homes, Alamo Title, River City Screen Printing, Maxwell Ford and The Barth Group.
-Canyon High School Student Council officers are pictured with this year’s S.P.U.D. week honoree, Serena Alfaro, a seventh-grade student at Church Hill Middle School.
-Pictured from left is junior Megan Humphrey, president of the Canyon High School Student Council, senior Marissa Olvera, vice president of CHS Student Council, Church Hill Middle School seventh-grader Serena Alfaro and her mother, Jennifer Lizama.
-Canyon High School S.P.U.D. week pep rally.