CICERO — On Monday, Nov. 15, the Cicero-North Syracuse High School Principal’s Cabinet was honored by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Central New York Chapter with the organization’s “Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy” Award.

The C-NS Principal’s Cabinet, led by teacher Melissa Palmisano, is made up of 30 to 40 students recommended for the group because of their leadership skills. During the school year, the group meets with C-NS Executive Principal Jamie Sullivan and the school administrative team on a regular basis to discuss how they can work together to best benefit the greater school community.

For several years, the Principal’s Cabinet has supported Paige’s Butterfly Run, Inc., an organization supporting pediatric cancer patients at Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital, and Paige’s Pajamarama. Pajamarama is a charity event allowing students to wear their pajamas to school when they donate to Paige’s Butterfly Run, Inc.

Pajamarama is typically held in individual schools but in 2019, C-NS students challenged Liverpool High School students to raise more money for Paige’s Pajamarama by creating a challenge video, which went viral. While the 2019 challenge was initially only for the high schools, involvement grew and the event expanded to all schools in both districts. In the end, the schools and districts split victories with Liverpool High School earning the most money ($5,638.59) for the cause but the North Syracuse Central School District raising $15,044.34, the greatest amount overall.

For the past two years, the North Syracuse and Liverpool school districts have partnered with the West Genesee and Fayetteville-Manlius districts to expand the “competition” and thereby their support for Paige’s Butterfly Run, Inc. Through their efforts, the four districts raised $22,751.28 in 2020 and another $26,345.72 this year. In all, C-NS Principal’s Cabinet has helped raise more than $77,000 in the fight against pediatric cancer and in support of programming at Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital.

In addition to their support of Paige’s Pajamarama, the Principal’s Cabinet supports Paige’s Butterfly Run, Inc. in other ways such as by taking inventory and sorting books, putting together Comfort Kits and volunteering at their holiday party.

In the program for the AFP awards, The Principal’s Cabinet at C-NS was touted as “[having] made a huge impact on the pediatric cancer community in Central New York and Paige’s Butterfly Run.”