Noah Wilson was six years old in April of 2014 when he was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, a rare cancerous tumor that grows in or around bones. He passed away in June of 2015, but not before starting an organization that would come to help many children in the Kansas City area: Noah’s Bandage Project.

According to its website, Noah’s Bandage Project has two goals: to “help provide cool and fun bandages to kids that need them” and to “help raise funds for pediatric cancer research.”

The project has been successful thus far in terms of meeting its goals. In August of 2016, it granted Children’s Mercy Hospital $100,000 to conduct research over Ewing Sarcoma and it hopes to issue another grant in 2017. It also has raised over 50,000 boxes of bandages, or one million individual bandages.

StuCo decided to start a fundraiser to support Noah’s Bandage Project that was led by Student Body treasurer Bella Hadden and junior representative Justin Grega. The fundraiser lasted from Monday April 10 through Friday April 14.

Hadden believes that Mill Valley should participate in this drive because it is a unique charity event.

“[Noah’s Bandage Project is] significant because it’s local,” Hadden said. “[Wilson] had a lot of passion and he cared more about other people than a typical six-year-old would.”

In addition, StuCo sponsor Erica Crist believes that Noah’s story can provide inspiration for students and staff.

“[Wilson’s] important to Mill Valley” Crist said. “Though he was going through a really rough time, he was thinking about how he could help other kids like himself who were in that same situation.”

The drive ended with a total amount of $200 and 377 boxes of bandages being raised. The freshmen class raised the most bandages with a total of 130 boxes.

Sophomore Sydney Clarkin donated bandages because she wanted to help a project that she genuinely believed in.

“Noah had a passion and desire to help people and if there is any way Mill Valley can partner with that, we should,” Clarkin said. “Mill Valley does a lot of community activities and this is just another thing we could be a part of.”

In agreement with Clarkin, Grega decided to co-lead the project not only because he was inspired by Wilson’s story, but also because he wanted to create a new tradition within the school.

“It’s wonderful that Noah was doing something that can benefit the world,” Grega said. “It’s beautiful. There should be more people in the world like him.”