League School student concerned about domestic violence raises $550 to combat it

League School student, Anthony Lagana, was concerned about the amount of domestic violence he was seeing in the news and in movies and wanted to do something to combat it. “Seeing sexual assault and harassment on TV and in the news caught my attention to step up and do the right thing,” said Anthony. “I wanted to raise money for a good cause that needs it.”

Anthony met with his clinician and Director of Development, Tim McCabe, to research a trusted organization for domestic violence prevention. Together they identified REACH as a GuideStar-recommended organization. The non-profit empowers individuals, families, and communities to overcome domestic violence through emergency shelters, education, community-based advocacy, and community engagement.

Putting together the fundraiser was a long process, and the League School community came together to support Anthony’s initiative. “We got school approval, and planned out a Halloween dance party with raffle prizes,” said Anthony. “We set up a bake sale with the cooking teacher (Culinary Arts Teacher, Marie Canesi), put together a floor plan, and created flyers and price tags.”

“We are so grateful to Anthony and all he has done to raise money in support of domestic violence survivors and REACH,” said Jean Dolibert, REACH’s Director of Development. “We sent him some hand-outs and brochures about REACH to share with anyone who participated that included information geared to kids about healthy relationships. Without people like Anthony who are passionate about this work, we wouldn’t be able to do the work we do every day and individual support is critical to REACH’s ability to sustain our work.”

Anthony and the League School team’s efforts paid off. Students and staff enjoyed the Halloween party while supporting a great cause. “After everything was put together, the event was a huge success and raised $550,” said Anthony.