JHS students raised $6,000 dollars for their annual “Penny Wars” fundraiser. Of the total, $1,500 will be deposited into the school’s new RISE (Red & Green In Support Of Everyone) Fund. The fund aims to provide assistance to JHS students who may have experienced various hardships throughout the school year.

The remaining $4,500 will be donated to a senior at Jamestown High School, who wishes to remain anonymous. The student has underground treatment for Ewing Sarcoma, a rare and aggressive malignant bone cancer. A message of gratitude from the student’s family was read during the event.

Finishing in first place with 179,030 points was the Senior Class of 2025 (Ashley Merchant, advisor), finishing in second place with 62,849 points was the Sophomore Class of 2027 (Marygrace Anderson and Heidi Maggio, advisors), finishing in third place was the Junior Class of 2026 (Bobbijo Gibbons and Alex Kyler, advisors) with 61,194 points, and finishing in fourth place was the Freshmen Class of 2028 (Sara Henry and Alycia Johnson, advisors) with -9,858 points.

Cardboard checks, made possible through a donation by Nick Fiorella of Jamestown Container Company, was presented during the ceremony.

Longtime JHS teacher John Twinam gets slimed by senior Brighton Lumia during the annual Penny Wars assembly.

“Penny Wars has been a great JHS tradition for the last 25 years,” said JHS teachers Betsy Rowe-Baehr and Tage Hall, co-advisors of JHS Student Organization. “Each year, we put on Penny Wars as a friendly competition for a good cause as a way to help someone in our school family. Our students are excited that their impact will be able to extend beyond just the holiday season through the creation of the new RISE Fund.”

For 26 years, students have spent the holiday season raising money for a worthy cause within the JHS family, raising nearly $100,000 for various causes across the community. Students spend the month of December leading up to the last day before the holiday break raising money for the cause. All pennies count as “positive” points and all silver and dollar bills count as “negative” points. The losing classes each are “slimed” by the winning class.

Prior to the presentation of the check, the A Cappella Choir, under the direction of Lauren Scharf and directors emeritus Brian Bogey and Norm Lydell, performed selections from their holiday concert season and Vespers service. Jamestown Mayor Kim Ecklund issued a proclamation commemorating the 100th anniversary of the choir to Scharf, Bogey, and Lydell, as well as JHS Principal Allyson Smith and JPS Superintendent Dr. Kevin Whitaker. City Council President and retired JHS teacher and student organization advisor Tony Dolce was also on hand for the event.

“Whereas the Jamestown High School A Cappella Choir has a distinguished 100 year history, enriching the lives of students, alumni, and the Jamestown community through the art of choral music,” Ecklund’s proclamation read in part. “And whereas annual Vespers serve as a cherished tradition in Jamestown bringing together the community in the spirit of unity, peace, and joy during this holiday season.”

Choral music education has enjoyed a long, rich tradition at Jamestown High School marked by the arrival of Ebba Goranson in 1920. In 1924, Goranson combined the boys and girls glee clubs to form the A Cappella Choir, serving as its first director until her passing in 1957. A trailblazer, 100 years ago this year, she was also named the district’s Supervisor of Music — the first woman in the state to be assigned such responsibility.

JHS freshman advisor Alycia Johnson gets slimed by chemistry teacher Tom Warner during the “punishment” portion of the Penny Wars assembly.

Prior to her passing on Dec. 10, 1957, Goranson, who had been ill most of that holiday season, remarked to her pastor, “This Christmas, I shall hear the perfect A Cappella Choir” according to The Post-Journal’s reporting of her death.

Lucille Lown, Goranson’s accompanist, finished out the 1957-58 school year. In 1958, the district appointed Donald B. Bube, a vocal instructor from Ithaca College, to serve as the second director of the choir. A passionate artist, he served the high school until 1981. Two of his students went on to succeed him. In 1982, Bogey became the first alumnus of the choir to hold the director’s position. Since his retirement in 2003, he continues to support the efforts of the A Cappella through friendship, counsel, and as organist. From 2003 to 2020, Lydell served as director and continues to provide counsel to and support to the choir in many ways. Scharf was appointed to serve as director in 2020.

The choir was joined by more than 400 alumni on Saturday, Dec. 14 for their 100th anniversary Vespers performance.

JHS students raised $6,000 dollars for their annual “Penny Wars” fundraiser. Of the total, $1,500 will be deposited into the new JHS RISE Fund. $4,500 will be donated to a senior at Jamestown High School, who wishes to remain anonymous. A message of gratitude from the student’s family was read during the event.

Jamestown Mayor Kim Ecklund proclaimed “A Cappella Choir Day” in the City of Jamestown in honor of the choir’s 100th anniversary during the JHS A Cappella & Penny Wars Assembly on Friday. Dec. 20 at Jamestown High School. Pictured from left to right are Dr. Kevin Whitaker, JPS Superintendent; Tony Dolce, city council president and retired JHS teacher; Lauren Scharf, A Cappella Choir director; Norman Lydell, A Cappella Choir director emeritus; Brian Bogey, A Cappella Choir director emeritus; Ecklund; and Allyson Smith, JHS Principal.