Fight like a kid
Carson Head’s legacy lives on
Photo: Mr. Michael Head
Carson Elizabeth Head strikes a silly pose during a walk in the woods. Through fundraisers led by the St. Jude’s club and St. George’s, over $160,000 has been raised for St. Jude’s in remembrance of Head.
Every morning since March, many St. George’s students have woken up, gotten out of bed and looked down at the Team Carson bracelet on their wrists. This bracelet serves as a reminder of Carson Head’s beautiful spirit, and it is a symbol of how, no matter what the day may entail, you have the ability to face life with a big smile and positive thoughts.
After a difficult battle with osteosarcoma, Carson Elizabeth Head passed away on June 26, 2015. She was nine years old. During her fight, Carson received treatment at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., where the staff never gave up on her or lost hope.
St. Jude is an organization unlike no other. They believe that “all a family should worry about is helping their child live,” which is seen in how families of St. Jude’s never receive a bill for treatment, housing, food or anything else. It takes two million dollars for St. Jude’s to operate every day, and yet 70 percent of their funds come from public donations.
The multitude of fundraising events hosted by different teams demonstrate the perseverance of the St. George’s community, as each event helps St. Jude in their work to find a cure for childhood cancer. In the words of founder Danny Thomas, “no child should die in the dawn of life,” and with the support of St. George’s and many other institutions and individuals, St. Jude works day in and day out to accomplish this.
This year, senior Adam Cruthirds introduced a St. Jude club to St. George’s, and the club has led event after event to support St. Jude’s and remember Carson. On Sept. 17, the varsity volleyball team and the St. Jude’s club came together for a Too Clutch for Cancer volleyball game, where proceeds raised were donated to St. Jude and the upper school modern music ensemble performed “Fight Song” by Rachel Platten, Carson’s theme song.
Team Carson Elizabeth and its partner team, Adam’s Army, in support of Cruthirds, work to raise money and awareness for St. Jude in memory of Carson Head. So far, Team Carson Elizabeth and Adam’s Army have raised over $164,309 for St. Jude’s at different events and fundraisers through St. George’s.
In the month of November, the club organized Coins for Carson, a fundraiser in which students at the Germantown campus decorated piggy banks in religion class and then raised money for St. Jude with their families throughout the month.
On Dec. 5, the club, in collaboration with Mrs. Emmy McClain, teacher and assistant director of student life, and other sponsors, provided four free fan buses to the St. Jude Marathon. 172 students and teachers ran or walked in memory of Carson, and many more came in support.
We at the Gryphon Gazette applaud the efforts of St. George’s, the St. Jude club, Team Carson Elizabeth and Adam’s Army to support St. Jude in memory of Carson. Carson Elizabeth Head was a daughter and a sister to some, a classmate to many and an inspiration to all. Her light and courageous soul has inspired us to fight like kids every day and to enjoy every moment. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you, Carson, and we will never forget you.
If interested in supporting St. Jude, students, teachers and parents can donate money to the St. Jude pages of Team Carson Elizabeth or Adam’s Army. In addition, students can contact Cruthirds, senior Sope Adeleye or junior Kneeland Gammill about joining the St. Jude club to become involved with future events.
Justin Knight • Feb 6, 2020 at 10:41 PM
I really like this article. I was really good friends with Carson. I was thinking about her today.