In November 2009, Norinda (Sandbulte) Northrup lost her 17-year old daughter, Tina Sandbulte, in a car accident. While working through the grief, Northrup decided to hold a fundraiser each year in her memory.
This year is the twelfth anniversary since her death; this year's seniors were in kindergarten that year.
"She loved helping people and the cause she really believed in was the Children's Miracle Network," wrote Northrup. She describes her daughter as fun and generous and wanted to keep that spirit alive.
Starting with the first radiothon in 2007, Tina began raising funds for the Children's Miracle Network.
"I knew Chris Carter and he was the DJ for KTWB," said Northrup. "We were listening and I kept hearing names of the doctors in the NICU that I recognized so we went and were going to donate. Chris asked me why I came and I said because my first baby had been in the NICU for 2 weeks until he passed away (and that baby, Chad Lee, would be 39 years old today). The doctors were still working there and were amazing. He made me tell the story on the air. [My daughters] Sara and Tina were with me and had really never heard the story before so I think it had a bigger impact on them than I thought. The next year, they were both cheerleaders so we had just a mini fundraiser. And from then on Tina would go around and ask people for donations when it came to that time of the year."
As the elementary school administrative assistant, Northrup wanted to keep the fundraiser accessible to all school students.
Students are allowed to wear pajamas or hats to school in exchange for a $1 or more donation that day, with all donations going towards Children's Miracle Network.
"We are in the kid business at school here," said Northrup, "so I guess I figured it would be a good thing to raise money for the kids at the Castle!"
The administration has agreed to help each year with the great cause, and since then, over a thousand dollars per year is raised by the Garretson School students and the community.
"Each year donations have been more than the year before!" wrote Northrup. She asks the community and school to help exceed that again.
Donations can be brought to the school, or money can be sent via Venmo to @Norinda-Northrup by December 10.
