Hoops for Marilyn

Marilyn's twins benefit from annual basketball tournament

by Emile B

     Almost every viper sported red and white today, Friday the 13th, and it wasn't  for an early Valentine's Day celebration.Today, all of Vanguard participated in a basketball fundraiser in order to raise money for Dr. Marilyn Medina-Perez's two little boys, a cause special to Vanguard.       "I'm happy that we are doing the cause, but I truly miss her, and I'm glad that I actually got to meet her. I'm proud of Vanguard for doing this,"  Zorayda Trujillo stated while preparing to spend the day playing basketball.       About a year ago, Vanguard lost Dr. Medina-Perez, a beloved social worker, to cancer. But we aren't the only ones who grieved for Dr. Marilyn Medina-Perez; her husband and twin boys lost a piece of their family. 
      Dr. Medina-Perez really wanted her boys to go to college, so the school raises money to make her dream come true. "It makes me feel happy to know that her babies are being taken care of, and that our whole school can come together as one and have fun," said Melissa Doron.
      The fundraiser is truly significant for the older students who knew her and who were impacted by her kindness. This cause brings our seniors together by giving them a day to remember her. "Today is important for the people that have been here for a long time, they are the last generation of Vipers that knew Marilyn, so this is very important to me," said Christian Reyes.
     It is on this day, all students give respect to Dr. Medina-Perez's legacy while playing basketball and having a good time. The mood and spirit, overall, is somber, but hope filled, slightly competitive, yet connected. 
     "It's a beautiful thing how people are willing to help each other in a constructive way, " shared Drimitije Markovic.

     If you didn't have the pleasure of meeting Dr. Medina-Perez, Mr. Patrick Kain describes her as, "Everything I wanna be, caring, kind, dedicated and compassionate... And probably smelled better than I do right now," he recounted while taking a water break during our basketball fundraiser, which we held for the second year to raise money for her twins.