Student Leo clubs collect for Peter’s Drive
SOUDERTON >> When most people turn 16, they can go for their permit and easily get on the road to a driver’s license.
It won’t be that easy for Souderton Area High School freshman Peter Zucca, Joseph Beck and Macey Coll, president and vice president, respectively, of the Indian Crest Middle School Leo Club, said. Zucca survived cancer as an infant, but has had one leg amputated and has a fused spine, the Leos said.
“He has to pay money for expensive driving lessons,” Coll said. “He has to get special driving controls and they have to be inserted in a car.”
The Peter Powerhouse Foundation, founded by Peter Zucca, has raised more than $300,000 to support families and kids fighting cancer, the Leos said.
“They don’t take any of it for themselves, not even for gas money,” Beck said. “So that’s why we’re trying to raise money for them.”
Initially, the goal of the Souderton Area High School, Indian Crest and Indian Valley middle schools Leo clubs was to raise $4,500 — $2,500 for the handdriving controls and $2,000 for the driving lessons — Jennifer Odenwald, an Indian Crest science teacher and that school’s Leo advisor, said.
Then she talked to eighth grad-
ers at the school about it.
“They’re like, ‘Why would we stop with driving controls and lessons? Let’s get him a car,’” Odenwald said.
Having a car of his own would eliminate the additional costs of having to switch the controls, which take up a good deal of the car space, between his parents’ two cars.
While the students aren’t expecting to be able to fund a new car, they are hoping to be able to get one that is relatively new and have the controls installed at a lower price, Beck said.
The Souderton Area Leo clubs are parented by the Harleysville Lions, and work with the Souderton-Telford Lions Club, Jenna Krauss, a Souderton
Area High School Leo Club board member, said.
Krauss said she also gave a presentation about the project to the Upper Perkiomen Lions Club, which is assisting in the fundraising.
Any child or family in the area affected by childhood cancer has been assisted by the Zucca family financially and/or with phone calls, a hand to hold or a shoulder to cry on, Odenwald said.
“They are unbelievable prayer warriors,” she said.
A joint dance for students at Indian Valley & Indian Crest is planned for one of the fundraisers for Peter’s Drive, Odenwald said.
There is also a raffle, created by Dawn Zucca, Peter’s mother, with six tumblers to hold drinks containing candy and gift cards to places including Chick-fil-a and Dunkin’ Donuts,
Coll said.
Cash can be dropped off at Indian Crest Middle School and marked for “Peter’s Drive,” Odenwald said.
“It’s been really, really amazing to see the generosity already,” although the drive has just started, she said, citing instances of people walking into the school and anonymously donating $100.
“We can’t even write a thank you note because we don’t even know who they are,” she said.
Information about the collection was distributed by the Leos while they marched in this year’s Souderton Holiday Parade on Dec. 1.
Donations may be made to https://soudertoncommed.revtrak.net/Schools/ Indian-Crest-MiddleSchool-1024/rwpetersdrive/ or https://bit. ly/2rkPnMe.
Leo Club members are
also emailing friends and family members for donations and will be going to local businesses asking for donations, Odenwald said.
Peter Zucca’s birthday is on Feb. 4, Odenwald said.
When he was an infant, his parents were told to plan for both his first birthday and his funeral, she said.
“Now he’s 16 and we just thought it would be really, really exciting to not only present him with driving lessons and driving controls, but even a car,” she said. “That’s our birthday wish for him, so we’re hoping to help make that come true.”
Zucca has already been told about the drive, she said.
“We were going to try to make it a surprise, but then we thought we’d have to keep it quiet and we don’t want to keep this quiet,” Odenwald said. “We really want to share the word.”