Jan 25, 2010
SPARTANS PAINT THE GYM PURPLE FOR RELAY FOR LIFE FUNDRAISER

Thursday night the Oak Lawn Community High School student cheering section for the boys basketball team named the Green Machine wasnt quite itself. In addition to the fact that it more than quadrupled from its usual size of 30 students or so to about 120, the entire section was covered in purple. In fact, the entire Spartan Gymnasium was the color purple, but it was for a good cause. Oak Lawn was rallying the student body and the community for Relay for Life, which is an annual cancer walk held at the school.
So in order to remind students that Relay for Life is taking place on May 15 and to begin raising funds for the American Cancer Society, Oak Lawn and Reavis combined to Paint the Gym Purple with a tripleheader of basketball action. The night began as the sophomore boys played, then the varsity girls battled, then the opposing student council members, mascots and principals competed in a relay race, and finally the boys basketball teams dueled.
The gym was filled to near capacity as the teams played one another and money was collected to support the effort. Both schools had a strong turnout of students and faculty. The night opened with the Spartan sophomores defeating the Rams, and then the varsity girls from Oak Lawn followed with a victory. At halftime of the varsity boys game, Oak Lawn won the relay race as Oak Lawn principal Pat Keeley beat out Reavis principal Daniel Riordan in the final leg. Both principals gave a spirited effort and the crowd loved it. Oak Lawn teacher and Relay for Life coordinator Jennifer Wargin led the crowd in a halftime celebration. Then Reavis ended up pulling out a win in the varsity boys game.
All in all, the night raised awareness and money for Relay for Life and cancer research. One cause certainly united two communities, and the students made both schools proud.