‘Think Pink’ Fundraiser for Carolyn McDevitt takes place October 27
From Special Reports
“The thing to do when a colleague that has started a support group for women and their families in Coweta County asks you to create and host a trivia night as a fundraiser.”
What is “say yes”?
Jody Haynes, a math teacher at Northgate High School and a sponsor of several teams and clubs, began creating and hosting trivia nights back in 2019 as a way to raise funds for his teams and clubs. When asked what inspired him to do so, he said “I remember when a lot of people used to go out to local restaurants for trivia nights, and when those opportunities began to disappear, I found myself trying to come up with a unique fundraiser for my extracurricular activities. Out of that, trivia nights were born. I now host four events per school year, starting in October and hosting one every other month.”
At the end of the 2022-2023 school year, Mr. Haynes sat down with his Beta Club co-sponsors, Kaelynne Wessels and Carolyn McDevitt, and they were looking for something fun to do as an end-of-the-year party for Beta Club members. “I suggested a mini trivia tournament based on facts about Beta Club,” Mr. Haynes recalls. “It was then suggested by Ms. Wessels and Mrs. McDevitt that we include questions about the three of us as well just for fun.” As that final meeting for Beta Club unfolded last April, all three sponsors found themselves having as much fun as the students.
Prior to Spring Break, Carolyn McDevitt learned that her breast cancer from 2011 returned. She found herself with a stage 4 diagnosis, and she was told that it had spread to her jaw, clavicle, ribs, spine, and pelvis. She decided to stay busy, and so she started a group called Carolyn Cares: Surviving and Thriving through Breast Cancer. “My focus is only on the mothers with cancer of Northgate students. When a mom is diagnosed with cancer, the whole family is affected. One of my biggest stressors isn’t the cancer itself, but worrying about the impact it has on my parents, husband, and children. When we see our students struggling (and often we don’t because they hide it well), we owe it to them to help them navigate scary times,” said McDevitt.
Her goal was to do fundraisers to sponsor 5 moms with breast cancer who have students at Northgate High School. She quickly set up a softball game and a football game, and then she reached out to Mr. Haynes to ask if he would do a trivia night as a fundraiser.
Mr. Haynes came up with the theme “Think Pink” in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month and set Friday, October 27 as the date of the fundraiser. Many local businesses, including Publix Supermarkets, Richards Imaging, Partners Pizza of Tyrone, Coweta Crossroads Chick-fil-A, Holy Macaron, Lisa’s Crêperie, and Mr. Clean Car Wash have donated prizes for the events, and there are still some sponsors in the works.
“This is a community event that anyone can participate in. They simply show up to the event on October 27 at the Northgate High School 9th grade cafeteria. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m., but due to our Trunk or Treat event that evening, we will not start reading questions until 7:15 p.m. Tickets are $10 at the door, and all proceeds from ticket sales will go to Carolyn Cares,” said Mr. Haynes.
Participants will form teams and answer twenty questions related to the theme, followed by a final exam. The top three teams at the end of the night will win prize packages consisting of donations from the local businesses.
In addition, concessions will be sold at the event, including homemade fudge from Mr. Haynes, and shirts and prints created by Mrs. McDevitt’s husband will also be sold to raise funds for her cause. Everyone is encouraged to come out and enjoy the event.
