Westlake HS is hosting a Spirit Day this Sunday to fight childhood cancer

Mount Pleasant gathers this Sunday for the 10th annual Wildcats Spirit Day. It promises to be a fun early fall Sunday similar to a fall festival, with raffles, an auction, food trucks, treats, games and a full schedule of youth soccer games.

This Sunday, Mount Pleasant will host its 10th annual Wildcats Spirit Day at Westlake High School, where more than 400 young football players in grades 1-6 will participate for a good cause.

Since its inception in 2014, Spirit Day has grown into a large outdoor event that features ongoing youth soccer games and the community, including local residents and corporate sponsors, help raise money to fight pediatric cancer. All proceeds are donated to the Ty Louis Campbell Foundation.

Lori Ferrara, event director for Spirit Day, said that funds raised for pediatric cancer research are consistently too low and that this initiative is designed to address that problem.

“There really isn't anything like this for childhood cancer. And what the families tell me – whether it's families affected by childhood cancer or other people in the community who come year after year – is that it's an event for the whole community. That's why I make a special effort to include the local schools,” Ferrara said.

Normally over 1,000 people came to the event.

Local youth soccer teams typically represent Valhalla, Mount Pleasant, Armonk and Pleasantville, although the goal is to include a different community each year, Ferrara said.

The 10-year-old effort has been successful thanks to numerous volunteers and sponsors, as well as the generosity of families and businesses in the community. Last year, Spirit Day raised $87,000, the most successful year since its inception, Ferrara said. About $350,000 has been raised for children's cancer services since its inception, she said.

The money was used for clinical trials

Although the day is serious, there will be plenty of fun for community members who attend. There will be a DJ, a variety of food trucks, pumpkins for sale, games, face painting, a face cake booth, food vendors, auction items, raffles, clothing for sale and much more.

Spirit Day will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Westlake High School, 825 Westlake Drive in Thornwood. For more information about the event, visit