Twin Rivers freshman Lucas Wilkerson has had a tremendously difficult year — a year filled with tragedy and grief culminating in the loss of a parent. The student body and faculty of Twin Rivers High School want to help make things a little better.
“I won’t go into detail about the events that he’s experienced this year, but the events would be extremely difficult for anyone of any age to endure,” Twin Rivers High School Principal Mike Berry stated. “Lucas is such a great student and such a great kid, everyone just wants to help.”
Berry went on to explain that some of his high school students had approached him with a simple request: What can we do to raise money to help Lucas?
“This whole idea originated with the students,” Berry noted. “We thought about is, and if you know anything about the students at this school, you’ll know they love to wear hats.”
With the spirit of genuine altruism driving the idea, “Lids for Lucas” was set into play. The determination was made that Fridays in March would be designated days where students could wear hats all day if they donate a minimum of $2.
“The first week we raised $800,” Berry said. “As of this morning, we have raised $1,300, and I’m quite sure that amount will go up more before the day ends.”
Berry went on to explain that the student body has been extremely generous with their donations.
“Some students can only donate the minimum, and that’s perfectly fine. We’re very happy with that,” he noted. “But some other students have donated anywhere from $50 to as much as $150.”
When asked about his feelings on the matter, Berry immediately turned the attention to the students.
“We have such a great group of kids here at this school. We really do,” Berry exclaimed. “And Lucas is so special to everyone. He’s just this bright light that everyone — students and faculty — are drawn to. And I think everyone just wants to do everything they can to help.”
Twin Rivers High School Baseball Coach Chris Newman echoed those sentiments.
“Lucas is a great kid with a great attitude and a great work ethic,” Newman observed. “He’s a joy to coach; and on this team, the message is that we treat each other like family.”
Following that message of being family, Wilkerson’s teammates combined the funds they could collect in order to purchase a brand new baseball glove for him. And it was exactly the glove he wanted but though he would never own.
“The boys brought me the money and I purchased the glove,” Newman remarked. “The guys came to me saying they wanted to do something nice to help Lucas, so that’s what they did. Everyone on my team knows that we look out for each other, and we’ve got each other’s backs.”
Berry said there is one week remaining for the “Lids for Lucas” program, and the plan is to give the collected money to him.
“There aren’t any conditions attached to the money,” Berry noted. “The money is specifically for him and to help him with anything he needs.”
Berry said he hadn’t ruled out other future programs of this nature to continue to help Wilkerson or other students.
“I’m going to see about doing something else that could involve the faculty more,” Berry explained. “But I don’t have plans at this moment. We’ll need to discuss it and see what happens.”
Berry said that he has spoken directly with Wilkerson and told him not to hesitate to speak up if he needs anything at all.
“It’s just really nice to see the students come together to help one of their own like this,” Berry stated. “I’m just glad to be a part of it.”