On Sunday, May 20, 2018, the Trinity-Pawling community rallied with Westover School in their annual Relay for Life event—the signature fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. It was a rainy Sunday morning, but that did not dampen the enthusiasm of the twenty Trinity-Pawling students who ventured over to Westover to join the fight against cancer.
The afternoon consisted of team members walking laps around the Westover gym and participating in games, activities, and socializing. Mike McQuade ’18, Nico Bonasera ’18, Will Rickert ’19, and Logan Morales ’20 arrived at the event with their saxophone, drum set, electric guitar, and bass, respectively, and entertained event attendees.
“We concluded the evening with the luminaria ceremony,” explained Director of College Placement Slade Mead, who plays a big role in Relay for Life each year. “Our luminarias had been displayed the day before in a beautiful candlelit service on the Trinity-Pawling campus. With Westover’s lumunarias joined by ours, the gym had over 300 lit bags. It’s always an incredible moment.” The bags beautifully spelled out C-U-R-E.
Trinity-Pawling has partnered with Westover School in the annual Relay for Life event since 2012. This year, the joint event raised over $8,000 for the American Cancer Society. The fundraising efforts were led by Matt Ernster ’18 and his Senior Independent Project—the restoration and auction of a 1964 Vespa. After over 200 hours of labor bringing it back to life, Matt and his mentor, Mr. Antonio-Barnes, auctioned off the refurbished Vespa for an incredible $4,300, donated entirely to Relay for Life.
“This project means a lot to me and it has been an unbelievable experience working over the year,” shared Ernster. “I am taking away a lifetime of mechanical knowledge while contributing to an amazing cause. What an opportunity!”
Thank you to Westover School for hosting this year’s Relay for Life event and to all students, faculty, staff, and parents who helped make it a success. Next year, as the host school, Trinity-Pawling’s rising seniors Scott Stensrud and Nolan Laplante will lead the planning, assisted by CJ Mezzatesta ’20. We look forward to another year of supporting the American Cancer Society’s mission to save lives and celebrate life.
Hear Matt talk about his Vespa project here!