Family, friends and students of popular teacher gather support

In less than a day, Islanders have raised over $2,600 for an Island teacher who has been battling bone marrow cancer for three years.

On Sept. 21, Marissa Pettipas started a GoFundMe campaign in hopes to lessen the financial pressure of travel and medical expenses for her father, Richard, more commonly known as “Mr. P”.

In the campaign’s post Marissa wrote, “This is real tough on him, cause he talks about kids, classes, and teachers all the time. I know Mom and Dad are strong and have been real positive since this all started in July 2015… My Dad has always been a man that gives by teaching, volunteering, coaching, refereeing and helping people any way he could.”

Richard travels to hospitals including ones in Charlottetown, Moncton and Halifax for appointments. Marissa says he sometimes gets his medications from Costco because it is cheaper.

In her post she also said, “Dad is so positive when he is anywhere, and his favourite saying is: it’s all good… he continues to try and do stuff even when he’s having constant bone and body pain, muscle cramps, headaches, a real bad memory and just being tired a lot.” Marissa and her brother, Josh, are trying to support their parents by setting up the campaign.

“We are both really proud of what Dad has done for many students, friends and people all his life in teaching, coaching sports, volunteering, our church, being a ref and ump. He’s a special guy to many people, and a great role model, not just cause he’s my Dad. So, I have set up a GoFundMe site for them, so any donation that you can make would be a great help for them, and I know they would sure appreciate it.”

As if 2:42 p.m. on Friday afternoon, the campaign had raised $3,080 of the $8,000 by 66 people in one day.