Last fall, the Foxcroft School community set a goal of raising $5,000 for the Cherry Blossom Breast Cancer Foundation. Then, the dedicated students went out and raised double their goal!

Recently, senior student leaders Maeve Couzens (Middleburg, VA), Charlotte Wright (Alexandria, VA), and Alex Carr (Wellington, FL) presented an oversized check for $10,000 to CBBC Board representatives at an all-school meeting. The funds were raised mostly through the School's Think Pink Basketball Tournament in January, participation in Nanette's Walk last fall, and the generosity of an anonymous donor who supports the girls' efforts.

"This is an incredible achievement that you have accomplished," said James P. Atkins, chairman and founder of the Foundation, which supports early detection, treatment, and awareness of this insidious disease in the local area as well as research to find a cure.

"And it is so important to the women of Loudoun and Fauquier counties – and to you and the women in your families. You all need to know your genetic history and be aware of the importance of taking care of your health."

Giving back is an integral part of a Foxcroft education. "From whom much is given, much is expected," said the School's founder Charlotte Noland and its current Head of School Mary Louise Leipheimer.

Foxcroft School is the number one single contributor to the CBBCF, Atkins added. As a result, fellow board member Lori K. McGuinness announced that the school contingent will have the honor of leading Nanette's Walk next September. Foxcroft has had the largest group at the 5K walk since its inception in 2007. Last year the 60+ students, faculty, and administrators who walked raised $3,750 -- more than 10 percent of the total raised by the walk.

In January, 12 basketball high school and middle school teams participated in the third annual Think Pink Basketball Tournament, organized by Foxcroft Athletic Director Michelle Woodruff and the student-run Athletic Association. T-shirt sales, team entry fees, cash donations of all sizes, and a lot of volunteer work raised some $5,000. The tournament referees volunteered their time, and one of them, Don Woodruff, solicited sponsors for the cause in the weeks before the event.

The balance of Foxcroft's donation came from sales of pink shoelace, hair/horse braids, and the unnamed donor.