Springfield Platteview Community Supports Cancer Fund

The Springfield Platteview Cancer Fund is a non profit committee that raises money for people in our community who have cancer. The chairmen (Mr. Steve Lundeen) had a lot of information about the fund for people who wanted to learn more about it:

How does the Springfield Cancer Fund affect our community?
Lundeen: “The Springfield Platteview Community Cancer fund is a non-profit organization that returns money to people in the Community who have been diagnosed with cancer. We have 5 committee members who work in each of our schools, and a community liaison who canvases the entire community to have us help to identify people who have cancer. Once identified we write a check for $500 to the patient. The money has zero strings attached, they may spend it how they see fit. They are eligible once per calendar year. We have donated countless thousands of dollars to help people who are stricken with this dreaded disease.”

How was this fund started, and who brought it to life?
Lundeen: “Our fund was started in the 2000-01 school year by former Platteview teacher Mr. Jay Rodenbaugh. In 2000 we had a math teacher die of lung cancer at the age of 51. A year later we had a former teacher die at the age of 54 of liver cancer. Jay decided that in conjunction with his health classes we would do a bowl-a-thon to help raise money for our community to help people stricken, and the SPCS Cancer Fund was born. Jay retired in 2013 and he asked me to take over the chairmanship. We have been going strong ever since.”

How can students/parents donate?
Lundeen: “We have been using the Sophomore class to fund the program. We ask all sophomores who wish to raise $40 in donations. Once they raise $40 the are eligible to get out of school one half day, to go on a bowling trip. The $40 is minimum. We give a $100 reward to the person who raises the most money. We average about $3,000 to $4,000 per year in donations. We get a percentage of the PHS Pink out game shirt sales in football, and we also get a percentage of the PHS pink out basketball game donations. We are blessed to live in a community that gives us an opportunity to fund raise as we do. We accept any donations at anytime of year. Just last summer the Springfield Baseball Association donated $1500 to us a part of their annual Game Against Cancer series with Plattsmouth. All in all we a proud to provide the service we do for our community and God willing we will continue well into the future.”

What inspired you to be an advocate for this fund?
Lundeen: “The two teachers that we lost I would consider close personal friends. They died way to young. This peaked my interest. Right about the time Jay asked me to take over, we lost my father in law to cancer at the age of 69. When I was given the opportunity to do this I jumped at the chance. Cancer is a dreaded disease, and must be eradicated. Hopefully by us providing some small service for the community hopefully we can ease the burden until science catches up with the disease. Our goal is just to make things bearable for people.”