Written by Newspaper Staff Reporter Izzy Penge

Our third annual Turner’s Heroes event will be taking place throughout the week of Monday, October 25th, leading up to the football game versus Lassiter on Friday, October 29th. Throughout this week, Athletic Leadership is pitching in to make everything happen, including setting up many donation opportunities. If you are unfamiliar with Turner’s Heroes, it was founded by Cody Markel, who was teammates at Vanderbilt University with Turner Cockrell. Turner passed in late November of 2018 from melanoma, about a month after his 21st birthday. To know Turner was to love him, and he always wore a big, bright smile on his face. Turner loved superheroes and was always the most educated when it came to any kind. Because of his love for these stories, Turner’s Heroes was brought to life shortly after his passing in hopes of funding research for pediatric cancer while making all patients feel like the heroes that they are. If this story means something to you, Allatoona will have many chances for you to donate and take part in the cause. During the week, Athletic Leadership will be selling Turner’s Heroes shirts and capes at all lunches from Monday, the 25th, through Thursday, the 28th, for $10 each. These items are also available online through MyPaymentsPlus, but instead of buying in person, there are limited options for different colored capes online. However, if buying online is an easier choice for you, the distribution of these items will be on Thursday, October 28th. One shirt or one cape will earn you one hour of community service, with a maximum of six hours possible.

Along with selling t-shirts and capes, there will also be multiple donation boxes around the school, where Athletic Leadership will be collecting toys for patients at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. The toys that these kids are allowed to use are specific, so there will be a list on all the donation boxes and Allatoona’s social media regarding what you can donate. For every $10 spent, you can earn up to four hours of community service. All you have to do is staple the receipt of your toy to the bag, with your name and grade level written on it, and you will receive your hours. Students can donate and buy an infinite number of items. However, there is a limit to the amount of community service hours you can get from these events. If you happen to forget your money at home while in school and want a wider selection of cape colors, you can buy t-shirts and capes at the football game up until halftime. If you would rather donate money than purchase these items, students will be walking the stands with donations buckets so everyone will have an opportunity to be a part of funding childhood cancer research. Turner’s Heroes is a great way to get involved in the community, give back to a great cause, and pay tribute to one of Allatoona’s own and beloved, Turner Cockrell.