Silence is not what one would expect when walking through the doors of a high school gymnasium during an assembly. But the unusual silence at FCHS on a chilly February day was surreal.
The moment came after the pep band marched down the halls. Teachers and students followed the band down the spine and into the gymnasium to join the assembly crowd.
“Every year in Student Council the week of Valentine’s Day, we do ‘Spread The Love Week,’” Student Council Sponsor Craig Rhoades said. Spread the Love Week is an annual event dedicated to showing kindness and helping others. But, something new was happening this year. A little girl and her father stood in front of the school.
The student body set out to help Braxton Brown, a nine-year-old girl battling Leukemia.
Before Braxton and her dad took the stage, the gym was packed with smiling and laughing high school students and staff. Spirit echoed and boomed loudly throughout the gym. They all applauded and cheered when Braxton’s dad, Clint Brown, finally stood at the microphone. As he did, the once lively gymnasium went silent as everyone listened.
“Hearing her story broke my heart. It’s crazy how much she’s been through at such a young age,” senior Siri Palusa, a member of StuCo, described in a text to Spilled Ink. “I think a lot of people felt the same way. I mean I’m sure you could’ve heard a pin drop.”
Throughout the week, the school hosted different sporting events, t-shirt stands, and an annual dance to help raise money. By the end of the week, the silence of the high school gymnasium became prevalent when Braxton’s family was presented with a $25,000 dollar check.
“To my knowledge, Fort Collins High School had never raised more than $10,000, despite the level of effort. Last year we raised over $24,000,” Rhoades beamed. “We more than doubled the record that had ever been raised.”
The contributions and love given to them by FCHS impressed the Brown family.
“It was overwhelming—the amount of support that Fort Collins gave us, the pride that they had in being able to help somebody out like Braxton,” Clint Brown said. “It was really cool to see how the school comes together.”
StuCo representatives led the effort, planning ways to raise money for weeks. With the money they received, the Brown family intends to visit Hawaii over Thanksgiving Break.
“Braxton has chosen to do a couple of fun adventures,” Clint Brown said. “One of them is swimming with dolphins, one is a Luau, and then we were going to do parasailing.”
Braxton looks forward to the tropical weather of Honolulu and is excited to be immersed in the culture and enjoy the food.
With Braxton’s future ahead, Clint Brown shared that her experience with FCHS students made her want to attend the school. To her, being a normal girl surrounded by high schoolers is what she needed most.
“It was really really fun to be able to hang out with people that are my age, never commenting about my sickness,” Braxton explained.
Engaging with Braxton, and donating nearly $25,000 to a little girl battling Leukemia will leave lasting impacts. The support has allowed Braxton a chance to experience a new culture and a different perspective on life. For Braxton, it will be one more thing to cross off her bucket list.
