Every nickel helps.

Aurora VanAuken, a Jim Thorpe High School senior, has teamed up with Joanie Hafler, a senior from Pocono Mountain East to compete in the 2023 Student Visionaries of the Year contest being held by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society located in Bethlehem.

Since Jan. 28, the girls have raised money from seven events that have included bake sales, basketball games, raffles, and restaurant dinners.

“We think we have a pretty good chance to win,” said VanAuken. “We’re not allowed to say how much we have raised so far because that might be information that we don’t want our competing teams to know.

“What’s most important is raising money for cancer research and Joanie and I would love to become sponsors of a $50,000 research grant in honor of someone who had pediatric cancer.”

Visionary teams are made up of one to 3 students and this year there are 14 teams in the competition. VanAuken became interested in the program when she was a freshman and has been involved ever since it was introduced at her school.

“It’s been super rewarding,” she said. “We got a chance to have breakfast with our honored hero, an 11-year-old girl named Gia. She’s in the fourth grade and has been cancer free for five years. Mia wants to become an actress and before that she wants to see the Smokey Mountains. She’s very focused on her future and that’s a great thing.”

VanAuken played soccer and ran the hurdles for her Jim Thorpe track team. She finished fourth last season and qualified for the districts.

One of the major events her team is sponsoring is this Saturday’s soccer tournament at Jim Thorpe High School.

“We have five girls and five boys’ teams registered to play,” she explained. “Teams represented are Pleasant Valley, East Stroudsburg North, East Stroudsburg South, Pocono Mountain East and Jim Thorpe.” The tournament will begin at 8:30 a.m. The games will be 17 minutes long. Entry fee was $60 for each team.

On Feb. 25 in Allentown, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society will hold a Grand Finale Dinner where the winning Student Visionaries of the Year will be announced. VanAuken and Hafler will get one more chance to raise more money.

“They call it, ‘Fun to Fight,’ when every team gets 10 minutes to get as many donations as they can before they announce the winners.”

For Aurora VanAuken, who plans to attend the University of Delaware and major in biomechanical engineering, and Joanie Hafler, who intends to pursue a nursing career, they will come away from this worthy endeavor knowing that no matter which team wins the competition, the real winners are the children who when cured, will get a life filled with opportunities to follow their dreams.