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Superintendent lends support to LaBrae student
By ABBY SLANKER
After being diagnosed with stage four thyroid cancer and enduring an eight-hour surgery at the Cleveland Clinic, LaBrae High School freshman Tanner Noble is getting the support of not only his community and his fellow students, but other communities as well. The students of LaBrae have formed Vikings Hope to help raise funds for Noble’s medical costs which are not able to be covered by insurance.
Vikings Hope and members of the community have been busy organizing several fundraisers for the Noble family, most notably Shave for the Brave. Members of Vikings Hope have been busy collecting pledges from members of their community and other communities to shave their heads if a fundraising goal is met.
One person who has pledged to shave his head in support of Noble is Canfield Local Schools Superintendent Alex Geordan. Geordan is an alumni of LaBrae and his daughter is a freshman at the high school. Geordan will shave his head if they raise $10,000.
“I am happy to help support the Noble family. They are a family who will do anything for anyone, and now it’s our turn to step up and help them. It is tough enough for anyone with medical conditions, but when it hits our youth, it strikes a nerve and pulls at heartstrings. It pulls the community together to help and the LaBrae community and students are really stepping up,” Geordan said.
Noble’s mother, Demetra, has also pledged to shave her head if the group raises $2,500.
Other fundraisers scheduled include a police/fire versus LaBrae faculty basketball game and an alumni versus alumni basketball game, a spaghetti dinner and a golf outing. All events are open to the public.
Vikings Hope is also selling bracelets and T-shirts to raise money for Noble.
“The health of a child is first and foremost and people want to help in any way they can, no matter if the child is in the LaBrae community or the Canfield community,” Geordan said.
To learn more about Noble and his journey, visit Facebook, Twitter or Instragram and search #TannerTuff.
The Shave for the Brave pancake breakfast will take place from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Feb. 14, at the Johnson Community Center, located at 800 Gillmer Road in Leavittsburg. The cost is $5 for adults and $3 for children under 12.
For more information or to make a donation, contact LaBrae students Nathan Hendryx at 330-898-5802 or Jason Downey at 330-898-8521, or Geordan at ageordan@canfieldschools.net or 330-766-3238.