CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Students at Bishop Garriga Middle Preparatory School are getting ready for a fundraiser benefiting their seventh grade classmate, Jose Lopez, who has Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. He is currently being treated at Driscoll’s Children’s Hospital.
“He’s very happy person. He loves everything…” Ella Garcia, a seventh grader at the middle school said about Lopez.
Other students said they wanted to help because the school feels like being a part of a family, and to an extent, Lopez is a part of their family.
“We are a small school so we treat everybody like family at our school. We don’t let someone’s needs go down…so we always try to help out others in need.” said seventh grader Jacob Rodriguez.
Teachers also agreed with the students, saying the school is a joy to teach at because of its family-oriented atmosphere.
“We really love them…we care about them…that’s the good thing about teaching at a small school,” said Divina Legrange, a sixth and seventh grade theology teacher.
The students made flyers and are putting them up around the school to promote a drive-thru plate benefit on Saturday. They will be serving chicken and sausage. The proceeds are going towards Lopez’s medical bills.
His mother, Leticia Lopez said it has been a hard time lately.
“Right now with my husband not working…he’s been unemployed since October of last year…so it’s hard with three more kids at home,” Leticia Lopez said.
The school administration said this isn’t the school’s first fundraiser for Lopez.
“We had a burger plate sale that was organized by an organization…Angels of the Community…which involves our own students,” said Norma Castaneda, the school’s principal.
The school is selling tickets at $10 each and are hoping to sell around 400 tickets with a goal of raising around $4,000.
Tickets are available for purchase at the school’s office.
