This January “Daffodil Days” has returned to Hingham High! The annual fundraiser involves buying beautiful daffodils to benefit the American Cancer Society.

Hingham High’s Administrative Assistant Monica Black brought “Daffodil Days” to the school in 2010, after her son suffered a cancerous brain tumor at age two. She was inspired to begin raising awareness and funds for cancer organizations to help other children receive treatments. Her son’s treatment allowed him to recover, graduate from Hingham High, and he is now cancer-­free at age 28. Ms. Black worked at Plymouth River, one of the four Hingham elementary schools, before Hingham High School. There, she also organized successful cancer fundraisers.

As of 2014, the American Cancer Society estimated the number of cancer survivors in Massachusetts at 364,460, and 14,483,830 in all of the United States. The American Cancer Society also estimated 37,790 new cancer cases just in Massachusetts, and 1,658,370 in the United States for 2015. Although it may seem that there are hundreds of fundraisers for every type of cancer, because of the large numbers of new cases each year there is always a demand for more costly treatments, therefore every donation counts. All contributions, in regards to the “Daffodil Days” fundraiser go to “a broad umbrella of causes in the American Cancer Society,” according to Ms. Black. Donations pay for anything from “rides to and from treatment for patients, to lodging of families and loved ones who cannot afford a hotel or place to stay during treatment.” The American Cancer Society also provides one­-on-­one support services, allowing patients to have a better understanding of their diagnosis.

In Hingham High’s first year of participating in “Daffodil Days” in 2010, the school raised approximately 800 dollars. In 2013, Hingham raised over 4,000 dollars. This January, 200 dollars have already been raised in less than a week. Last year Hingham High School did not participate in the “Daffodil Days” campaign due to the American Cancer Society rethinking fundraising ideas, such as “Daffodil Days” which was popular in the Northeast, but not as popular in other parts of the U.S. Sadly, this will be the last year Hingham High is involved in “Daffodil Days” because the American Cancer Society will be discontinuing the fundraiser after this year.

The campaign has brought recognizable cheer and thousands of smiles to Hingham High and beyond. The American Cancer Society will continue to create more fundraisers that Hingham High will hopefully be able to contribute to. To order daffodil flowers for a beautiful addition to your home and contribute to cancer treatments all over the U.S, pick up a yellow flier on the bulletin board across from the main office.

To learn more about the American Cancer Society visit http://www.cancer.org.