Toll Gate senior project brings laughs, raises money for charities

By Tessa Roy
Posted 3/23/17

By TESSA ROY Proud parents Kathy and Everett Lewis say their son Everett's senior project tells a story about his character that sets him apart from others his age. This story is different. It is about a high school senior who took it upon himself for"

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Toll Gate senior project brings laughs, raises money for charities

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Proud parents Kathy and Everett Lewis say their son Everett’s senior project tells a story about his character that sets him apart from others his age.

“This story is different. It is about a high school senior who took it upon himself for this senior project to raise money for someone else,” they said.

Lewis, a senior at Toll Gate, worked with comedy organization Funny 4 Funds and his mentor George Russell of St. Greg’s Baseball League to host a comedy show that benefited the Jaxon Marocco Foundation and St. Greg’s Baseball League.

Lewis heard of the foundation and its story through Russell. Elmwood Sports in Cranston provides uniforms for the league, and the foundation bears the name of owner Steven Marocco’s grandson, Jaxon. At 5 months old, Jaxon was diagnosed with Neimann-Pick disease, a rare genetic disease that causes organs to swell and become too large for the body. The boy unfortunately passed away when he was 22 months old, but his memory continues to inspire; Lewis said that when the two eventually met, Marocco told him Jaxon had his stomach drained seven times but didn’t cry once.

“That really struck a chord with me. It became less about just trying to graduate and more about helping people who really deserved the help,” Lewis said.

In his initial meetings with Funny 4 Funds, Lewis said the team there guided him through how to host the comedy show fundraiser and told him his goal should be $3,000. That differed from his original goal of $1,000, but their confidence that he could raise more made him “kick it into gear.”

With the help of Funny 4 Funds and Russell, Lewis got to work securing sponsors, selling tickets to the event, getting raffle and auction prizes, and speaking at his church about the cause. He said he nailed down 11 sponsors, including both local and larger businesses like Denny’s and Domino’s, and interesting prizes like a ukulele and various autographed items.

The comedy show and local comics that performed ended up attracting about 100 people. It raised $4,610 for the Jaxon Marocco Foundation and St. Greg’s Baseball League.

“I’ve always put it on myself to help others and do what was right in the community,” he said. “What I liked a lot about this project was as I continued to go on it, it became less about a senior project and more about helping people in need.”

Lewis will be heading to the University of Rhode Island, where he hopes to study business administration. He is also an Eagle Scout, which he said has helped him strive to be a leader in his community.

Lewis thanks everybody who contributed to his project; it wouldn’t have been a success if he hadn’t had the cooperation from local businesses and people who went to the show, he said.

“It was a great opportunity and I’m glad people were able to come,” he said.

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