Pedia Trick-or-Treat fundraising planned for Halloween

Mountain Brook residents can participate in student-led Pedia Trick-or-Treat this weekend.

The fundraiser was created by Sean Fredella, a ninth grader at Mountain Brook Junior High. Fredella workshopped and built upon the idea during Genius Hour at school.

“I had this idea before we had Genius Hour, and I didn’t think it would ever be more than just an idea in the back of my head,” Fredella said.

Money raised during Pedia Trick-or-Treat will be donated to Children’s Alabama for pediatric cancer research. Fredella said pediatric cancer research is an important cause to him, his family and the community.

Fredella was first diagnosed with leukemia at age 2, and in 2011 he was diagnosed with a rare form of tumor, esthesioneuroblastoma. He has been cancer-free for three years.

To help raise money, community members can purchase Pedia Trick-or-Treat T-shirts from Mountain Brook Sporting Goods for $15. Mountain Brook Sporting Goods gave a $1,000 donation, and all profits from the shirts will go to pediatric cancer research. Nell Fredella, Sean’s mother, said the shirts will be available for the next two weeks or until they are all sold.

There are also collection boxes available at Mountain Brook Sporting Goods. With these boxes, students and community members can collect donations on Halloween. There will be a collection drop-off party on Sunday, where everyone can celebrate the money they have raised.

Even after Halloween, Pedia Trick-or-Treat will hold a raffle to continue raising money for pediatric cancer research. A Walking Dead Peavey guitar, signed and donated by Peavey Electronics Corporation founder and CEO Hartley Peavey, will be raffled off. There are raffle bins at the Mason Music locations in Mountain Brook, Cahaba Heights and Bluff Park.

While the guitar is first prize, second prize is $150 to La Paz and third prize is $75 to Dyron’s. Tickets are $10 each or $50 for six and will be on sale through Nov. 20.