Hope For Gus 2021
SPREAD THE SMILE
Annual Hope For Gus Fundraiser Week
The beginning of Souhegan's year is kicked off with a Homecoming week like many high schools, but Souhegan has a different take. We have a charity fundraiser for the Hope for Gus Foundation, which is a charity near to our hearts as the founder is a Souhegan teacher. This week demonstrates how vibrant and thoughtful the Souhegan community can be. Ethics Forum organizes and runs all of the events with the student body, committing themselves to make a difference. The students cheer on the Souhegan Football team in a colorful display of school pride, and we raise thousands of dollars to support the Hope for Gus Foundation every year. The image to the left shows Souhegan's 2021 spirited crowd for the football game against Hollis Brookline.
HOPE FOR GUS IS BACK IN FULL-SWING!
After COVID-19 we set our goals high with Ethics Forum to try to raise more money for the DMD research foundations than ever before. We set up a whole Hope For Gus week from September 13th, through September 18th planning various activities to raise morale in our community and achieve our goals.
Football Game & Homecoming Dance:
On Friday, September 17th, Souhegan High School hosted against Hollis Brookline. Students from the school set up an entire line of booths for food, merchandise, and activities of all kinds. The following day they hosted an evening dance at the school that invited students from all grades to come and just have a good time! So far, between these two events alone, the community raised over $17,000! In addition to these fall events, the Ethics Forum is in the process of creating another Hope For Gus event in the winter to continue our contributions.
Hope For Gus Foundation
The Hope for Gus Foundation (HFG) was started by a Souhegan teacher, Steve Dreher, and his wife Tonya when their son Gus was diagnosed with Duchenne's Muscular Dystrophy. Duchenne's Muscular Dystrophy or DMD is the most severe form of muscular dystrophy and causes the weakening of muscles. It is a recessive genetic mutation on the X Chromosome which means it affects almost exclusively boys.
Unfortunately, DMD severely impacts the lifespan of those who are afflicted by this disease. Right now, there is no cure or truly effective treatment. However, there have been many promising breakthroughs in research. The Hope for Gus Foundation has made it their mission to educate the public about this disease and raise money for research. Through these actions, HFG hopes to work together with the Souhegan High School Ethics Forum to improve the lives of all young boys living with DMD!
