Wellesley Middle School Reading Rally brings bookworms together against cancer

If you live near Wellesley, Mass., and you noticed a shortage of books at your local library or bookstore this past spring, there’s a good reason.

March 30, 2026, marked the beginning of Wellesley Middle School’s (WMS) annual Reading Rally, a fundraising event that is conceived, planned, and executed almost entirely by sixth-grade students.

Each year, participating sixth graders put their eyes and noses down for a two-week period, raising money from their supporters as they work toward their individual reading goals. But reading is only a small portion of the efforts that go into the WMS Reading Rally.

Julie Kenerson teaches social studies at WMS and helps the Reading Rally get off the ground each year. “I know the structure and timeline of the Rally, but I want to make one thing clear,” Kenerson said. “This fundraiser isn’t about me. It’s about the kids.”

To kick it off, students prepare individual slideshows to pitch a charity that could benefit from the proceeds of the fundraiser. They carefully research nonprofit organizations, analyzing how much of their annual donations support administrative costs versus the causes they serve.

For two years in a row, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund have been voted as the nonprofit to benefit from the proceeds of the WMS Reading Rally, and the event runs as a My Jimmy FundRaiser.

“It’s so easy to work with the Jimmy Fund,” Kenerson said. “The fundraising platform is user friendly. We can create our own fundraising page with tracking and information, and donations can be made through that page directly to the Jimmy Fund.”

The students work in groups to prepare informational letters to send to parents, teachers, and other students. Through presentations and question-and-answer sessions, they recruit other students to participate. Then, they gather individual sponsors, who can choose to donate based on the number of books or pages the student reads, or contribute a flat amount.

“Of course, I love that the event is encouraging our students to read, but they are also so inspired by philanthropy. They are learning that every dollar counts toward cancer care and research.”

Julie Kenerson

The Reading Rally culminates in a special lunch at which participants celebrate the students’ accomplishments. This year, that includes raising $22,025, bringing the two-year fundraising total for Dana-Farber to more than $32,000.

“It’s a win, win, win,” Kenerson said of the Reading Rally. “The kids get the rewarding experience of giving to a great cause, the community benefits, and it’s a win for the Jimmy Fund. Only good comes out of it. Everyone should help encourage kids to do a fundraiser!”

Join students, teachers, parents, and community members like Wellesley Middle School in supporting Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s lifesaving mission to provide compassionate patient care and groundbreaking cancer research for children and adults.

Since 1948, the generosity of millions of people has helped the Jimmy Fund save countless lives and reduce the burden of cancer for patients and families worldwide through community-based fundraising events and other programs that solely and directly benefit Dana-Farber. Learn more about how you can get involved at JimmyFund.org, and follow the Jimmy Fund on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram: @TheJimmyFund.