Machetanz students net $1,425 for ‘Firefighter Stairclimb’

PALMER — What’s important enough that it had Machetanz Elementary fifth-grader Lexi Kavanagh willing cleaning up the dog’s mess from her yard and washing dishes, too?

What could prompt classmate Kyle Rudolph to give away his savings? And why is fellow fifth-grader Thomas Fenner helping out at home by vacuuming and doing dishes?

It’s all in the name of their friend and classmate Natalie Swanson. The Machetanz fifth-grader was diagnosed with leukemia on May 10, 2010.

Since her cancer status is “survivor,” she said the school-wide fundraiser her class worked to organize was something they could do to help other kids facing the same struggle.

“During my treatment, many people helped me. Now it is my turn to give back,” she says on a fundraising poster advertising the 22nd annual Scott Firefighter Stairclimb.

Teacher Sarah Rodriguez said the fifth-grade curriculum includes community service. It seemed like a natural fit that her class would back a leukemia fundraiser, since one of its members has survived the illness, and since her husband is Central Mat-Su firefighter Jamie Rodriguez.

She said Saturday will mark his second time racing up the 1,311 steps at the Columbia Center in downtown Seattle in full fire gear and SCBA. But this time he aims to best the 69 flights of stairs and 788 feet of vertical elevation gain in Natalie’s honor.

Sarah Rodriguez said when her class began talking about the idea they decided they didn’t want to ask their parents — or other adults — for money. They wanted to earn it instead doing useful things around their homes.

“They want it to mean something to the kids,” Rodriguez said.

She said some of the students at the school weren’t aware of Natalie’s story until she made presentations about the fundraisers to all the classrooms at Machetanz during February.

Natalie was 8 years old when doctors in Alaska diagnosed her with leukemia and sent her on by jet to Seattle for urgent care. She and her family stayed at the Ronald McDonald House in Seattle while she was treated for the blood cancer.

The family moved from Fairbanks to Wasilla this fall after Natalie’s treatments were completed, she said.

Natalie said it was a challenge to stand in front of her peers and share her story. Her classmates say she was the star of their “Chores for a Child” fundraiser.

Students in Rodriguez’ fifth-grade class did a bit of quick math and figured out that each student at Machetanz would only need to earn $3 to reach their goal of $1,311 — one dollar for each stair.

“A lot of families in our building have been touched by blood cancer,” she said.

Asked what else Frontiersman readers should know about their story, Fenner’s hand shot in the air.

“That we succeed at our goal,” he said.

When the money was tallied, students had surpassed their goal by more than $100. Total, the school earned $1,425.01 for firefighter Rodriguez’ climb.

Among their fundraisers, Avery Gabavics’ may have been the only international effort. For her part, she contacted her father, who is deployed in Afghanistan, and stuck a deal.

Total, the two gave $156 — Avery gave her Christmas money and her father matched it dollar for dollar.

Less than $2 separated the winning classes totals. Top fundraising honors went to Rodriguez’ fifth-grade class and Robin Ouellette’s kindergarten class.

Those two classes earned a special celebration with two Central Mat-Su firefighters — firefighters Mark Easter and Rodriguez — who brought ice cream sandwiches, read books and danced Gangnam style with the first- and second-place winners.

Contact managing editor Heather A. Resz at 352-2268 or heather.resz@frontiersman.com.