Downey High instructors compete against one another every March to see which class can raise the most money for March Madness. March Madness donations in turn get donated to True Lasting Connections or TLC. TLC is a family resource center that provides health care and other services for Downey families in need of support.

This year it started on Mar. 11 and ended Mar. 28, raising a total of $14,000. On mMr. Cramm and Mr. Meade were eliminated, leaving Mrs. Carlson against Mr. Massey, Mr. Massey won first place with his classes donating $1,909.29 on Mar. 28 alone and in total his class raised $3,300.17.

Mr. Massey’s math student, Isaiah Fernandez, 10, speaks on how Mr. Massey was able to influence students to donate and promote the cause.

“He’s a cool fun teacher and really motivational towards us,” Fernandez said. “Most of his students seem to enjoy him as a teacher which probably played a role in why he got so many donations”.

TLC provides various services to Downey families such as: grief counseling, vision care, provided school related supplies to students and basic living necessities. TLC provides confidentiality to Downey residents and Downey High administrators alone recommend an average of 200 students a year to receive TLC assistance.

Mr. Cramm’s chemistry student, Xitlali Flores, 10, speaks on the methods that Mr. Cramm used to raise the money and eventually place third.

“He would pass around a jar, and sell shirts,” Flores said. “He didn’t really care about winning, he just wanted to raise money, because the proceeds go somewhere to help other people”.

Downey’s victorious class will receive $250 for a party of their choosing along with one paid vacation day for the teacher. Second place winning class will get a $175 and one paid vacation day and third will receive $100, and a paid half vacation day.

Downey’s ASB Commissioner of Campus and Community, Adrian Henriquez, 12, who is in charge of donations for March Madness this year speaks on the benefits of TLC.

“TLC will help about 220 students this year and those students might be friends of ours that have needs we don’t know about,” Henriquez said. “Any students that needs glasses here are referred to them [TLC] and so they are so great to our district so that’s why we really want to meet our $15,00 goal”.

ASB used to host this fundraiser with Warren High when it started more than eight years ago; the competition then was a rivalry against the two schools, the goal was for one school to raise more than the other. The first year Downey did March Madness, they raised slightly over $45,000.