The very last topic any parent wants to discuss is cancer.In fact，wouldn't it be wonderful if ，few among us haven't been touched，in some way，by the disease.
One teacher at Howell's Land O'Pines School decided last year to make a learning experience out of cancer awareness，and with the help of his fellow teachers, he succeeded in taking a terrible subject and turning it into something that allows the children to make a difference while helping others.
The Hats On Day project began a decade ago in Missouri when a fifth-grade class wanted to raise money to help a fellow classmate battling cancer.The children wanted to raise awareness about the effects of chemotherapy(化疗)and decided to wear hats to show their support for people who lose their hair while undergoing treatment for cancer.
During the 10 years since the first Hats On Day，the project has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for children with cancer.Raymond Gredder，a fifth-grade teacher at Land O'Pines，heads up the program locally.As part of the project，Land O'Pines students are asked to bring in monetary donations this week that will be contributed to the Foundation for Children with Cancer.
This is the second year Land O'Pines is participating in the Hats On Day project.Last year the Student Council organized the weeklong collection and raised more than $2000.This year Gredder is running the program through the fifth grade health curriculum.He believes it is extremely important for children to be involved in events such as Hats On Day that promote an awareness and understanding of people in need.
