VTHS students show support for student with cancer

VERNON — Amidst a flurry of school engagements, extracurricular activities, and final rounds of Advanced Placement testing, Vernon Township High School students power through the end-of-the-year hubbub with commitment and resolve. Their perseverance is commendable, yet none more so than the extraordinary example set forth by 11th-grade student, Vinny Ventriglia.
For the past several months, Ventriglia has endured several rounds of chemotherapy treatment at the Goryeb Children’s Hospital in Morristown, following his soft tissue sarcoma diagnosis. Determined and persistent, Ventriglia continues to combat his medical condition and even returned to school for a few weeks in January, eager to participate in classroom activities and excited to contribute his audio expertise to Vernon Township High School’s production of Shrek, the Musical. As an enthusiastic performing artist and talented vocalist, Ventriglia looks forward to the day that he can rejoin his fellow student actors onstage.
Theater teacher Lindsay McAloney shared, “It was great to have Vinny back, doing what he loves to do.”
Earlier this month, Ventriglia was admitted back into Goryeb for another hospitalized treatment cycle. McAloney and her acting students, anxious to communicate encouraging messages to Ventriglia, decided to show their unwavering support on a large scale — rather, a superhero scale! On Thursday, May 11, students, faculty and administration within every building of Vernon Township School District proudly wore golden yellow tee-shirts emblazoned with the words, Vinny’s Avengers, to cheer on their peer.
Over 400 students and staff members climbed the bleachers of the Vernon Township High School gymnasium to shout out their “gold-out” and root for Vinny. The flash of yellow shirts, extending high into the stands and outward, shone like a beacon of light, signifying hope and encouragement beyond the school’s walls.
McAloney, aware of Vinny’s penchant for Marvel Comics, had created the Vinny’s Avengers T-shirts with the help of Sue Loughren of Rooster Tees in Warwick, N.Y. Together, McAloney and Loughren selected golden yellow tee fabric to match the ribbon color that is distinctly associated with sarcoma and childhood cancer. Touched by Vinny’s courageous story, Loughren also contacted Mark McKenna, one of Marvel’s own illustrators, who generously designed the comic book-inspired Viking image that now appears printed on each golden yellow tee. The shirts sold quickly throughout the district, exceeding well over 1200 sales
And the Gold-Out didn’t stop there. Local businesses across Vernon Township took part in lending their gold-attired support to Vinny and posted photographs to the Vinny’s Avengers Facebook page. From young dancers at Simply Dance and staff florists at Highland Flowers, to law enforcement officers of the Vernon Township Police Department, the entire town was awash in gold to demonstrate their support.
McAloney stated, “The outpouring of support was breathtaking and I’m so thankful that the administration is so extremely supportive of things like this.” She added, “I always tell my students that sometimes it’s not about the lesson plan, but more about the life lesson, and I think these kids have learned a lot of that, this year.”