This year marks one of the most successful Senior Survior groups that MHS has ever had. It consisted of 6 teams that raised over $25,000 dollars for their selected charities. Each team lived at the school for an entire week, as well as participating in challenges with limited food and hours of sleep.
Haley Thomas and Anthony Ash raised money for Micaela’s Hope, a local foundation that honors Micaela Brunson and donates to those with mental illnesses. Learn more about this charity by clicking here!
“Anthony and I chose Micaela’s hope because I knew Micaela and her family. I saw them go through everything so it felt important to choose them,” said Haley.
They raised $3947 for this foundation by having a special drink at Coffee Belt, selling baked goods, and hosting a bingo night at the high school. At the bingo night they also had food for sale and a silent auction with baskets donated by local companies around Muscatine.
“Our bingo night was my favorite charity event that we did. A lot more people than we thought came so it was fun to see all of our friends and family,” said Haley.
Not many people would jump at the chance to participate in Senior Survivor. Although it’s a great way to collect money for charities, the week’s survival tasks are quite challenging.
“I always thought I would never do it. I would see the survivor’s from last year and it seemed so terrible. When it finally came up, I was like YOLO because it’s an experience you’ll never get again. It’s the most money I will probably ever raise for charity so just an overall great opportunity,” said Haley.
All of the teams started their Senior Survivor journey on Monday, February 26th.
“My favorite challenge from the week was the one where we painted portraits of each other. My least favorite was the food mile,” said Haley.
“I would say that my favorite part of the week was when me and Haley’s parents bought us Dairy Queen. It was so nice to eat something other than the MREs” said Anthony.
Eating MREs and sleeping on the ground everyday made the teams realize how fortunate they are.
“I’m really grateful to have a bed because it was so hard to sleep on the floor. We had such little time to sleep to begin with, so even though we were really tired it was still so hard to fall asleep on the ground,” said Haley.
All 6 of the teams got along very well during the week. They shared that this week brought them all closer, and that even despite the hard challenges, they all had a lot of fun.
“Every night was like one big sleepover,” said Haley. “I got so used to being with the girls before bed, that when I went home it was hard to fall asleep without them.”
Throughout the week, the teams found themselves missing their regular routines and activities beyond the contest.
“I really just missed being able to leave the school and do whatever I needed to do,” said Haley.
“I definitely missed my family the most during the competition,” said Anthony.
Once the week wrapped up, with its mix of enjoyable and tough moments, the survivors figured out their placements and headed home. Haley and Anthony finished in 3rd place for how much money they raised, and 5th place in the actual contest. The team did a great job, but most importantly had a great time and raised lots of money for charity.
“If you’re going to be a Senior next year, I would definitely recommend participating in this competition. You will make strong connections with the other teams and it’s all for a good cause,” said Anthony.
Make sure to check out all of the spotlight stories on the Senior Survivor teams on our homepage!
