The four grade levels at JHS competed in the culminating fundraising event that collected $11,000.19 that was donated to the Child Advocacy Program (CAP) in Chautauqua County. While holding the “wonderful check” written out to CAP, Executive Director Beth Oakes was grateful for the donation and praised the event itself.

“It’s just a lovely gift and we’re excited to have it,” Oakes told The Post-Journal. “All of it’s going to go right back in CAP so we can continue to provide free services for the children in our community.”

The classes typically hold a variety of different fundraisers leading up to the final event on Wednesday in the form of spaghetti dinners, pancake breakfasts, volleyball and dodgeball tournaments, merchandise sales, etc.

At the Battle of the Classes, the students competed in a slew of competitions ranging from volleyball and tug-of-war to art and dance contests inside the McElrath Gymnasium.

“What a fun way for people to give back,” Oakes added.

At this year’s event, Carolyn Whitehead and Eileen Braungard, founders of Battle of the Classes, were in attendance. During the 1979-80 school year, Whitehead and Braungard created an event to give back to the city and energize students.

“There was so much competition among the classes,” Whitehead previously told The Post-Journal of the three high school grade levels at the time. “We tried to get the whole school in something that we could build over the years.”

Each year, the school chooses a local organization to benefit from the proceeds raised by the competing classes. This year’s recipient was also selected during the 2012-13 school year.

Tony Dolce, JHS teacher, believes JHS’s Battle of the Classes has generated in the range of $250,000 to $300,000 in the 40 years of its run. Since 2006, when Dolce began as the student organization advisor, the classes have generated $145,000 in just 13 years.

While the final total for the event was $11,000 raised for CAP, the Senior Class of 2019 raised the most money totalling $4,250. The seniors also were the overall winner of the battle with 113 points followed by the juniors with 90, sophomores with 76, and freshmen had 63. “We have now raised approximately $300,000 for causes and charities in our community over the 40 years. The mission of the JHS Student Organization is to help raise funds for charities and causes in our community. It’s important to teach our students to give back to the community and to help support the many organizations that provide important services to our area,” Dolce said.

Whitehead and Braungard looked on as students maintained the same energy sparked 40 years ago.