What do you think of when you hear the word “fund-raiser”? Money, bake sales, yard sales, right? Well, I think of Pennies For Patients.

Pennies For Patients is the annual fund-raiser that is currently taking place at Watertown Middle School and helping to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to find a cure for two types of blood cancers, leukemia and lymphoma.

There are many different fund-raisers going on.

There will be a Family Skating Night at Ryan Arena on Saturday, March 8, from 6-8 p.m. Admission is $5 per person, with a $15 cap for a family (rental skates included).

On Thursday, March 13, the WMS students will play a basketball rematch against the teachers at Watertown High School at 6 p.m. Tickets are $5 for adults, $3 for students.

The eighth-grade leadership class will soon be selling T-shirts designed by a WMS student. The shirt says “Pennies for Patients” on the front, as well as some pennies stacked up high. On the back is “WMS” and an eagle, the school’s mascot. The shirt is purple to show the support of the cause.

“I think it’s a great way to promote the fund-raiser, as well as show our support,” says Catherine Papayannopoulos, a student in leadership class, who designed the shirt.

She met with the owner Paul DerBoghosian of Graphic Connections in Watertown, and he was able to give the school a great deal. Without him, Catherine says, the leadership class wouldn’t have been able to get this done.

The students also met with Ryan, who works at the Mount Auburn Street store, and they were able to design a T-shirt that would sell well.

“Graphic Connections helped majorly with this fund-raiser and we could not have done it without them,” says Catherine.

T-shirts will be sold for $10 apiece starting Monday, March 10, during extended homeroom, and also every event after that. Sizes are small, medium, large, XL, and XXL.

(Graphic Connections, 145 Mount Auburn St., Watertown, 617-926-1155, http://www.graphicconnect.com/.)

(To make a donation to Pennies for Patients, please visit Watertown Middle School during regular school hours. For questions, or if you would like a collection box, or information on how to help, please contact Eleanor Donato at 617-926-7783 x35507 or [email protected].)

–March 7, 2014–