Catholic school students raise money for public school academic team

Published: 2007-04-26

WAUKESHA, Wis. (CNS) -- For many parishes and schools, funds are raised and camaraderie is shared over plates of spaghetti in a school cafeteria or church hall. For members of Waukesha West High School's academic decathlon team, the spaghetti dinner held April 23 meant the difference between competing at the national level and staying home. And there would have been no chance of competing had it not been for the National Honor Society students at Messmer Catholic High School in Milwaukee. After reading a newspaper article about the state champion academic decathlon team at West not being able to afford the $10,000 trip to compete at nationals in Honolulu, students in Messmer's National Honor Society wanted to help. Messmer's volunteer business teacher Bob Monday suggested raising funds for the team. "From the students' viewpoint, they saw it as students helping students," said Monday. He estimated that more than 900 meals were served and more than $5,000 was raised from the dinner alone.

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