The second annual Rock ‘n’ Run for Cancer has raised over $12,000. The athletic department is still collecting donations and collecting money daily.

On Oct. 29th, all Niles North students participated in a life changing run during their physical education periods; they bundled up for the cold and got ready to run for the fight against cancer. To raise money, they asked family and friends to donate either a total amount of money or a certain amount per lap completed. With students running as many laps as they could, their totals increased immensely!

Earlier in the year, many students lost their loving English Language teacher, Daniel Horyn, to cancer. This pushed many students to motivate themselves to raise more money and surpass their accomplishments from the previous year.

“It made me feel really good. The running hurt, but afterwords, my body felt really good. It was because I knew that I was running for an amazing cause,” sophomore Nina Codell said.

Senior Ben Popernik ran a total of 12 laps, three miles in a single P.E. period. “I felt that running was the least I could do. I was running especially for Horyn. Running was the slightest thing that I could give back for all he has done for me,” Popernik said.

With hundreds of students laughing together and whizzing around the track, one could definitely feel all of the positive energy coming together in a sort of whirlwind. It was an event that allowed the whole community of Niles North to come together in the fight against cancer.