Valley Road School nurse helps stomp out pediatric cancer

School nurse Jessica Frank challenged the staff at Valley Road School to step it up to help stomp out pediatric cancer.

For February, all 34 participants had one goal: to cumulatively reach 3 million steps in 28 days. As a group they took 3,428,982 steps and raised $500 for The Nicholas Wihlborg Foundation. Nick Wihlborg was a Valley Road School student who died of pediatric cancer at the age of 12.

Each day the participants had to send Mrs. Frank a picture of the steps they had gotten in for that day to add to the running total.

The idea for this group challenge came from one of the school’s paraprofessionals, Mr. Bill McNeir.

School principal Alicia Finklea-DiCataldo said, “I am so very proud of our staff who stepped it up for such a great cause raising funds for The Nicholas Wihlborg Foundation, which will always be near and dear to our hearts.”

“It is not surprising to me that the Stanhope School administration and teachers took on this challenge and selected our Foundation as their benefactors,” said Dave Wilhborg, president of The Nicholas Wihlborg Foundation. “Many of the teachers who participated knew and taught Nick. They were incredibly supportive during his illness and passing, and continue to be so six years later. And those who did not have the benefit of knowing Nick still support the Foundation and our cause. My family is, and will always continue to be, incredibly grateful for their support. There’s no better community for us to be a proud part of.”