Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts | 501 S. Sapodilla Ave, WPB, FL 33401

THE MUSE

Happening Now
  • March 27No School because of Good Friday on 3/29/24
  • March 27No School on 3/25/24
  • March 27Asian Cultural Society Holi Holiday on 3/28/24 at 11:19 a.m. at the Blue Tables Outside Cafeteria
  • March 27Scholarship Night on 3/27/24 at 6 p.m. in Meyer Hall
  • March 27Dual Enrollment Meeting on 3/27/24 at 11:19 a.m. in the Cafeteria
Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts | 501 S. Sapodilla Ave, WPB, FL 33401

THE MUSE

Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts | 501 S. Sapodilla Ave, WPB, FL 33401

THE MUSE

Hola, Nihao, Hello, Shalom
Hola, Nihao, Hello, Shalom
March 16, 2024
Lining the bleachers in the gymnasium, sophomores cheer on performers during the Battle of the Bands competition.
Battle of the Genres
March 14, 2024
Vocal sophomore Levi Cowen plays the drums during the sophomores’ Battle of the Bands rehearsal. The sophomores had to perform songs from the techno genre.
Jamming to Win
March 14, 2024

Mr. Coombs Raises Awareness for St. Baldrick’s in Memory of His Mother

The Dreyfoos St. Baldrick’s event is inspiring many people to support the cause in fighting children’s cancer. One Dreyfoos teacher has a very personal connection with the St. Baldrick’s event and is using this opportunity to raise awareness among his students.  Math teacher Christopher Coombs is supporting the St. Baldrick’s foundation in memory of his mother, Dolly Coombs, who passed away from cancer.

“My mother was from the generation where people didn’t go to the doctor unless they were sick,” Mr. Coombs said. “By the time [the doctors] found out my mother had cancer, it had progressed all throughout her body.”

Once diagnosed, Mrs. Coombs tried a few rounds of radiation but it proved to be unsuccessful. Three months after she was diagnosed in July 1993, she lost her battle with cancer and passed away at 69-years-old.

“It was a relief that it all happened so quickly,” Mr. Coombs said. “[My family] didn’t have to watch [my mother] suffer.”

Mr. Coombs’ whole family was devastated by the death of his mother. His three brothers flew in from around the country so they could support each other at such a tough time.

“My brothers and I were all close but this brought us closer together,” Mr. Coombs said. “Our dad recently passed away, not from cancer, but it still made us realize that we are all each other have.”

When he found out that the St. Baldrick’s Foundation would be partnering with Dreyfoos, Mr. Coombs decided to participate by shaving his head in order to honor his mother’s memory.

“I haven’t really actively supported a lot of different organizations,” Mr. Coombs said. “[When] I saw all of the posters around campus, it looked interesting. I always keep my hair short so I thought it was the least I could do to support [St. Baldrick’s]. It’s such a worthy cause and it’s really neat to be able to do something instead of just raising money. ”

In addition to honoring his mother’s memory, Mr. Coombs wants to raise awareness among his students and get them to be passionate about such an important cause.

“It’s good for students to see teachers take initiative,” Mr. Coombs said. “I think it’s important for them to see that I’m a real person and not just a guy standing in front of the class.”

Mr. Coombs hopes that students at Dreyfoos will see this event as an opportunity to participate in they are passionate about while supporting a good cause. Even twenty years after her passing, he still hopes to make his mother proud of him to this day.

“If anybody had asked me when I was younger to choose one person who had the biggest effect on me, it would be my mother. Twenty years after her passing, I still would want her to be proud of who I am and the things I do,”Mr. Coombs said. “Cancer is a horrible thing, and kids getting cancer is just extremely saddening. Losing a parent was a horrible experience so I can’t imagine what is must be like as a parent to lose a child.”

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About the Contributor
Tom Kapitulnik, Editor-in-Chief
Communications senior Tom Kapitulnik is the co-Editor-in-Chief of The Muse. This is her third year on the staff. When she is not working on The Muse (which is almost always,) Tom enjoys reading, watching Netflix, and swimming. She is also on the Debate team at Dreyfoos. Tom is very excited for the upcoming year and can’t wait to see what The Muse accomplishes.
Donate to THE MUSE
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Contributed
Our Goal