By Brielle Ballantine
Editor-In-Chief

After the tragic losses and incidents our school has faced, it is proven that our Neshaminy family is stronger than ever. With the loss of two of our students and the brutal beating to a family member of another, students are stepping up and are doing everything in their power to help raise money and get through these tough times.

Neshaminy sophomores Molly McIntyre, Gillian McGoldrick and Lauren Helms have started to sell bracelets in Chris Mongillo’s honor. Sporting the color red after Mongillo’s preference for the color, the girls have already sold about $100 worth in bracelets. “The day we found out was an absolute tragedy,” McIntyre said. “Once I saw how many people loved and supported him I knew we should do something in memory of him.”

Loaded with about 200 bracelets, sold at two dollars apiece, the girls hope to raise $400, all of which will be going towards a college fund for Robbie Renson, Chris’s nephew.

“It’s a beautiful thing to see how many people came together and supported each other,” McIntyre said. “To all the people who have bought bracelets: thank you so much. It means a lot to me and to his family once they are given the profits. All I ask for is everyone to remember that Chris was and always will be a part of our Neshaminy family.”

Another group of students are also reaching out to the family of Trevor Newman by selling bracelets in his honor. Senior Augustina Natelli and juniors Alexa Spade, Bre McCullough and Nicole Malageri came together and came up with the idea to sell bracelets with Newmans name, dates and the quote “forever in our hearts.”

“We all agreed to [sell them] because we wanted a way for people to show their support.” Malageri said.
The girls are also selling bracelets for Mongillo, for two dollars apiece, and the money is being will also be put toward his nephews college fund.

Under Newman’ s grandparents wishes, all the money that is made from selling the bracelets is going to the Penndel Food Pantry, which is an organization that help feeds people in need. So far the girls raised about $400 in Newman’s honor.

“We bought 800 bracelets originally between Chris and Trevor,” Malageri said. “We probably sold about 400. We just want to make sure that the money goes to Chris’s nephews trust fund and the Food pantry for Trevor.”

On Jan. 7, Neshaminy graduate, 26 year-old Dave Winward, was brutally attacked while out with friends in Philadelphia. Although he is no longer in Neshaminy, his brother, senior Matt Frickmann, is doing everything he can to raise money to pay for the reward for his brother’s attackers and the hospital bills.

After being attacked and mugged, Winward was left battered on the side of the road to die. A bystander later spotted him and reported the incident. Winward is currently in rehab at Einstein Hospital.
His family has issued a $1,000 reward for the arrest of Winward’s attackers. In order to afford the reward and the hospital bills, friends and family started selling green ribbons in Winwards honor.

“Green’s the color for brain trauma, and his favorite color.” Senior Matt Frickmann said. “We’re essentially raising money until he’s better.”
Winward’s health has dramatically improved since the attack and he is no longer in a medically induced coma, but he still has a long way to go untill he is fully healed.

“It’s a really long recovery process,” Frickmann said. “Mentally, he’s very unstable, incredibly agitated and reduced to almost a child-like mindset. Very stubborn, irritable, etc. Physically, he still has recovering wounds on his head and face, and broken ribs.”

So far, the family has reached their goal of raising $1,000 to cover the reward, but they’re not stopping now; they plan to continue selling the bracelets at two dollars apiece and hope to double the reward and use the rest of the money for the hospital bills.

Winward is somewhat aware of the support that the community is supplying, but the family offers a “deep, heartfelt thank you,” Frickmann said. “I really can’t even begin to put my appreciation into words for the miles and miles of support we’ve gotten.”