ISF Summer Intern Program Raises Over $120,000 for Pediatric Cancer
ISF Summer Intern Program Raises Over $120,000 for Pediatric Cancer
This summer, the Isabella Santos Foundation was delighted to have a group of smart and passionate college students lead their volunteer teams through our Intern Program powered by OrthoCarolina. Since June, our Intern Leads and their teams of volunteers have competed in friendly weekly challenges and fundraising activities for pediatric cancer. They gained experience in how to lead and manage a team, how to communicate with local businesses, and how to report on weekly goals and objectives. Even though the effects of a global pandemic made virtual meetings and engaging challenging, this did not stop our teams from collectively raising $122,194.
Every single week these teams continued to amaze us. Whether it was the amount of money they were able to raise, the awareness they were able to spread, or sponsors they were able to bring on board. These young adults emerged out of their comfort zones and transformed into individuals ready to “face situations they had not experienced before or were comfortable with.” Ryan Brouse, leader of Gold Ribbon Gladiators put this perfectly when expressing how the ISF summer intern program helped him to grow.
Although the competition was fierce at times, Sarah Burton (Running for Research) put it perfectly, “at the end of the day we were all working towards the same goal of creating a world free of pediatric cancer.”
Tenley is starting her sophomore year at UNC-Chapel Hill.
As our Interns transition back to college, we are excited to announce our overall winner of the Summer Intern Program is Tenley Nystrom and her team First in Fight. Tenley led her team to this accomplishment, and in total, they were able to raise $30,491. In addition to this, the team signed 8 business sponsors for September’s 5K for Kids Cancer race, brought one 3 Wish Society Member into the ISF family, and won 3 weekly challenges. After an incredible summer, Tenley described her experience with the ISF family…
“I remember asking Erin Santos to describe the Isabella Santos Foundation in a couple of words when interviewing for the lead intern position. After spending my summer at ISF, I think it’s only fitting that I do the same. The Isabella Santos Foundation is inspiring, thoughtful, and exciting.
The fact that ISF is a grassroots organization is one of my favorite things about it. The amazing staff at ISF built this organization from the ground up and have already donated over 5 million dollars to the cause! ISF staff shows me every day that anything is possible if you set your mind to it. It is inspiring that ISF used Isabella’s legacy to create an organization that is impacting pediatric cancer patients and families every day.
Not only do ISF staff and interns work extremely hard, but they do so with the kids in mind. ISF doesn’t just raise money for pediatric cancer, but they also check in with patients and offer ways in which ISF can help kids use their voice to inspire others fighting. ISF has cultivated a community where the kids’ voices shine through.
Lastly, the staff at ISF makes interning with them fun and exciting! Through dinners together and creative challenges, ISF staff makes “work” feel like play. Some of my favorite challenges this summer were the product pitch challenge and the blood drive challenge.
This internship allowed me to utilize my strategic thinking and creativity to make a real difference in the fight against pediatric cancer. My team raised just over $30,000 in just two months by organizing fundraising events, soliciting sponsors for the 5K for Kids Cancer, and partnering with businesses to hold give-back events. I am excited to see how ISF continues to grow the summer intern program and am looking forward to continuing my involvement with ISF for years to come.”
Coming in second place is Ryan Brouse and his team Golden Ribbon Gladiators at $22,227. If you’ve been following us, you know the competition between Fight in Fight and Golden Ribbon Gladiators has been intense. We commend them both for their determination and are thankful to every team for raising money and participating during this competition.
We are so proud of all our teams, the effort they put into our summer program, and how they have grown since June. Here is what our intern leads each had to say about their experiences:
Dancers Against Cancer led by Shannon Margies | $16,783
“Throughout the internship, I was able to learn more about leadership, team management, business communication, and it gave me clarity on what career I wanted to pursue.”
Going for the Gold led by Morgan Caterino | $13,192
“I got to work with some of my favorite small businesses and introduce my neighbors, family, and friends to an organization that I am truly passionate about.”
Running for Research led by Sarah Burton | $13, 052
“While we were all competing against each other, one of my favorite things about the program that was when another lead had a victory such as finding a sponsor or hosting a give-back event it wasn’t anything I was ever upset about, because at the end of the day we are all working towards the same goal of creating a world free of pediatric cancer.”
Cure Chasers led by Kate Cheek | $10,254
“From learning about ISF as an elementary school student to finally getting to be a significant member of the ISF summer team, I have absolutely loved putting Isabella’s dreams into action.”
Better Together led by Grace Koch | $10,241
“I am excited to continue my dedication to stopping pediatric cancer as a monthly donor and to continue to watch all the work ISF is doing.”
Hope on the Run led by Ashton Barlow | $2,477
“I learned so many things while at ISF like being better in communication when working with a group, how to fundraise and how to be confident!!!” -Riya Porwal
WEEKLY UPDATES & FUNDRAISER FEATURES:
- ISF Week 1 Update
- ISF Intern Team First in Fight Holds Concert for a Cure to Raise Funds for Pediatric Cancer
- ISF Intern Week 2 Update
- ISF Intern Team Cure Chasers Raises over $1,000 with Purple Bow Fundraiser
- ISF Intern Week 3 Update
- ISF Intern Week 4 Update
- ISF Intern Team Hosts Pickleball Tournament for Pediatric Cancer
- ISF Intern Week 5 Update
- Running For Research Intern Team Set’s Up Fundraiser Opportunity With Poppn’ Popcorn
- ISF Intern Week 6 Update
