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Schools

Jordan Jackson Elementary Hosts Its 13th Annual Junior Jeopardy Tournament

Mansfield students partner to raise over $10,000 for Dana Farber Cancer Institute.

Last week, over 400 Jordan Jackson Elementary students participated in the 13th Annual Junior Jeopardy Tournament raising over $10,000 to benefit the Friends of Dana Farber and the Noreen Katz Nursing Scholarship Fund.  Elementary students organized themselves into teams, picked names, decorated posters and shirts and solicited donations from the community in support of the Dana Farber.   For the first time, this highly anticipated event, traditionally run by MESA and dedicated parent volunteers, was organized and administered by members of the Mansfield High School National Honor Society (NHS). 

NHS co-chairs, Kathryn Campbell and Joe Cole, were joined by enthusiastic young men and women to truly make a difference in our community.  Each night, approximately 75 high school students led the game play for third, fourth and fifth graders. Many of these older students had themselves participated in the event when they attended JJ.  The young participants shared the joy of raising money for real purpose and had a great time doing it. While everyone who participates wins, this year’s Junior Jeopardy champions are third graders on the French Unicorn team. They are Nathan Brumble, Ethan Harkness, Brady Kessler and Jack Mullert.

Since its inception, this event has raised $166,000.  Junior Jeopardy was started in 1999 by a Jordan Jackson student whose mom was being treated in an isolation unit at Dana Farber. According to Caroline Cooney and Anne Carroll, Mansfield High School teachers and NHS advisors, the only communication she had with her family was via a video phone provided by the Friends of Dana Farber, a volunteer organization that raises funds to improve the quality of life for patients undergoing treatment. This young student started Junior Jeopardy to raise money to buy more video phones so that all the families could find a little comfort by staying in contact with their loved ones. While the technology has changed, the mission of Junior Jeopardy has broadened…to raise funds for the Friends of Dana Farber and to fund a nursing scholarship in memory of Noreen Katz for whom this tournament was started.

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