Saint Ursula Academy hosted the annual Orange and White flag football game in April at its campus in East Walnut Hills to raise money for leukemia research. The annual event brings four area high schools together each year for one cause, believing that together they can make a big impact. They are Saint Ursula Academy, Notre Dame Academy, St. Xavier High School, and Covington Catholic High School.
This year, the seniors from Saint Ursula Academy played the seniors from Notre Dame Academy in a flag football game. During halftime, the boys from St. Xavier and Covington Catholic put on a dynamic halftime show set to music.
Photo: Saint Ursula Academy and Notre Dame Academy students present a check for $5,265 to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. Shown L-R are: Theresa Berling, Julia Hughes, Emily Thaman from NDA and Anna Scott, Maggie Sullivan, and Elizabeth Schwartz from SUA.
Notre Dame won on the field this year, but the real winner of the day was Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, which received all of the proceeds from the game admission, raffles and t-shirt sales. This year, the students donated $5,265.00 to the Cancer & Blood Disease Institute at Children’s Hospital.
The Orange and White game was started by students at Saint Ursula Academy nine years ago in memory of 2009 SUA graduate Natalie Bradley, who lost her battle with leukemia just after graduation.
Bradley’s parents, who attend the game each year, shared their appreciation for the ongoing support of this event in a letter to the staff and students.
“Thank you all for the love and support you have shown our family and Children's Hospital,” said Steve and Rita Bradley. “It is such a humbling experience to see the ongoing enthusiasm for this event even after nine years and to know Natalie’s struggle was not in vain. Through that journey we learned that blessings and miracles come in all shapes and sizes, even in the form of a flag football game with the best half-time entertainment ever!”
The cancer treatment facility at Children's was recently ranked #1 in the country. Since the inception of the Orange and White game, more than $62,000 has been raised for this cause.
Photo: The Orange and White Game at Saint Ursula Academy