Garrison Forest students certainly know how to serve up friendship. Claire Schuler ’13 and Abby Kemp ’12 wanted to find a way to support their close friend, Senior Laney Siems, who has Cystic Fibrosis (C.F.), an often life-threatening disease that affects the lungs and digestive system.
To raise funds for a cure and to bring awareness about C.F., Claire and Abby created “Spike against Cystic Fibrosis,” a volleyball tournament for students and adults, held on April 13 in GFS’s Elizabeth B. Searle ’74 Athletic Center.
Check out all the meaningful fun in the photo gallery.
And in the tradition of GFS friendships, more was certainly the merrier. Claire and Abby formed a committee with students from each grade (Seniors Laney Siems and Kit Brennen, Juniors Meghan Hart and Lexi Buchanan, Sophomores Megan Rossi and Bayly Jarret, and Freshmen Brooks Farley, Sandy Wells and Allie DiPietro). The Committee publicized the event, recruited GFS faculty referees, solicited prizes, and organized a bake table for the evening event. Says Abby, “Almost everyone supported us whether they created a team, gave input, helped setup, donated money, or ran the scoreboard.” GFS parent and professional photographer, Jim Ivey, lent his considerable talent to the evening as photographer.
On April 13, 20 teams of five GFS girls and their choice of five boys from Boys’ Latin, Gilman, Loyola Blakefield, Calvert Hall, St. Paul’s and St. Joseph’s—200 people in all! Each team came dressed in various creative costumes and competed for the “Best Dressed” team. Teams played five games each, and the two teams with the most points competed in the championship. (Some even played with a beach ball.)
The point of the evening was hardly who won the tournament, rather what everyone could do to help support a cure for Cystic Fibrosis. The event raised $1,171 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation under Laney’s Great Strides Team, thanks to the admission fee of $5 and the bake sale--and the lasting impact that GFS friendships can have.
Claire sums it up, noting, “It felt great to be able to do something like this for Laney. So many people at GFS were unaware of what Laney has to go through on a daily basis because of her C.F. This event opened their eyes and allowed everyone to personally do something about it and hopefully make a difference.”