Surprise Squad: Sandy Springs students raise more than $100K in honor of teacher battling leukemia

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - Two metro Atlanta teens raised $127,000 in honor of a special teacher who made an impact on their lives.

Daryn Mand and Jagger Kaye attend The Weber School in Sandy Springs, and are leading the school’s chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

For their fundraising project, they decided to collect money in honor of Kendrick Phillips, who taught them at The Davis Academy, and has battled chronic myeloid leukemia, a type of blood cancer, for a decade.

“I guess in a way of giving back to all that she has done for me and helped me with the last few years,” said Kaye.

“I wanted to do something so meaningful that I knew would have an impact,” said Mand.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Georgia teens fundraise for beloved teacher diagnosed Leukemia

The girls’ fundraising efforts have touched a lot of hearts, including United Community, which made a $2,000 donation to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

The ANF Surprise Squad also presented Mand and Kaye with $250 Visa gift cards as a reward for their good work.

“It’s deeply impactful and it’s so profoundly wonderful,” Phillips told the girls. “I’m so grateful in my heart that you listened to some of the things we tried to teach you, and now you’ve become the teachers back, and that’s such a beautiful legacy to leave.”

If you know someone helping others and making a difference in their community, please let us know at surprisesquad@atlantanewsfirst.com.