NASHUA – Nashua High School North’s junior members of the National Honor Society recently raised $2,400 for Cure With Hope as part of their two group service projects recently.

The North chapter has been supporting Cure With Hope since the creation of the nonprofit organization, which was started by Rebecca Tabat and carried on in her name by the Tabat family.

Tabat was a former member of North’s National Honor Society who was 19 when she lost her battle with cancer. During her treatment in the hospital, she noticed the young children’s courage and optimism, despite their troubling situation. She wanted to help these children during their stay at the hospital and make it more enjoyable.

Tabat began raising funds for toys, games, books and various other child-friendly activities. She created the Cure With Hope logo and began selling bracelets and T-shirts, donating all proceeds to buy toys and games.

Her legacy lives on today. Cure With Hope partners with the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock, or ChaD, to help fund the Pediatric Inpatient Refresh Project, a remodeling of the pediatric floor to create a centrally located family play area.

Tabat was an exemplary student and an active part of her community.

“I found Rebecca to be one of the kindest and most well-liked students I have ever taught,” said Leslie Anton, her former teacher and the National Honor Society adviser at North. “She had a great smile, was incredibly friendly, liked being involved, loved her friends and worked hard in school.”

These were all imperative factors in Tabat’s induction into the National Honor Society.

The NHS began helping Cure With Hope by donating 1,000 paper cranes to the organization and supported Cure With Hope fundraisers that were held at local businesses. Cure With Hope ribbons were made by NHS members and worn at track meets. Cookies and other baked goods have been donated and sold during the intermission of the senior class play, a tradition that continues to this day.

The NHS members realized they could do much more to help the foundation, which prompted the decision to create group service projects to benefit Cure With Hope.

The first project was done last year by the senior class, which ran events such as a spaghetti supper and sold popcorn and “Spring Sonnets.” The NHS raised $3,132 during its first year working with Cure With Hope.

This year, the junior members were responsible for leading the group service projects.

A spaghetti supper raised $1,100. The supper is held in the dining hall during parent-teacher conferences. Juniors were given tasks such as grocery shopping, ticket sales and decorations.

“The spaghetti supper was a superb fundraiser that benefited Cure With Hope significantly,” said Rachel Kirby, a senior who led a team of juniors in organizing the supper. “There’s nothing people love more than having delicious food while helping the community at the same time.

“I’m proud to have been a part of such an important cause.”

A second service project was a masquerade ball held for upperclassmen. The idea came from senior Natasha Kumar, who proposed it last year. She worked closely with Anton to execute a successful dance, and once the venue was finalized, the responsibilities were handed down to the juniors.

The dance was a huge hit, providing enjoyment for all those who attended, and a total of $1,300 was raised.

“The night was a huge success,” Kumar said. “We raised a huge amount of money for a great cause.

“I wanted to do as much as I could to support Cure With Hope, and I knew that school dances are wildly popular, so I proposed the idea and she loved it,” Kumar said of Anton. “It feels good making a positive change in the community.”

Both service projects proved to be a huge success.

“The juniors collaborated very well, requiring minimal guidance from me or the seniors,” Anton said. “This was partly due to the fact that many juniors stepped up to the task and took leadership, which is expected from members of National Honor Society.

“I’m proud of our juniors and all the hard work they have put into their group service projects.”

“All the members who were involved in the projects were very generous in their time and commitment,” said Charlene Tabat, Rebecca’s mother and Cure With Hope’s leader. “I am extremely grateful for all of the help. It would be an honor to continue to work with the National Honor Society each year.”

Despite the monetary success, the ultimate goal was “to keep Rebecca’s legacy alive at North,” Tabat said. “I truly feel that they had accomplished this.”

For more information about Cure With Hope and Rebecca’s Dream, visit www.curewithhope.org.

Krutak Shah is a junior at Nashua High School North.