On December 2, LM Student Council hosted its 21st annual Maroon Madness, an event dedicated this year to raising funds for the school’s late principal Dr. Hughes’ Memorial Garden. The night was a tremendous success, bringing in over $7,000 through sponsors, concessions, auctions, raffles, and more.
Much of that success can be traced to Student Council’s Philanthropy Committee-Chair Katie Potts-Drew ’26, Vice Chair Annabel Bailey ’27, and Secretary Kendall Tickle ’27 who spent months preparing. Planning began immediately after Radnor Week in November, with the committee meeting independently, with cabinet, and with sponsor Brian Isselman and former sponsor Sean Capkin. Planning the event required what Tickle describes as making “sure that all the different aspects and small details of the event were organized and taken care of,” especially the extensive fundraising and sponsor outreach. Committee heads distributed letters to local businesses outlining sponsorship incentives, ranging from a company logo on the event shirt for a $100 donation to a shoutout during the event and on Instagram for $1,000. Reflecting on the process, Potts-Drew said her favorite part was “working with an amazing team… who are all so fun to be around and work with.”
Before the performances, attendees enjoyed a wide range of activities. Elle Pulsifer ’26 shared that her favorite part was “the activities you could do while waiting for it to start.” These include mini golf in the cafeteria, face painting, merch sales, a photo booth, and numerous raffle and auction items such as gift card bundles, toy baskets, LM gear, signed Eagles memorabilia, and even four parking passes. Food vendors like Jules Pizza and Love Bird Chicken also drew crowds. These activities were another essential source of fundraising for the memorial garden.
Doors opened at 6 p.m. for activities, while performances began at 7 p.m. in the Kobe Bryant Gymnasium. The night opened with the national anthem performed by Giselle Buella ’28, selected after her standout role in Legally Blonde with LM Players. The Philanthropy Committee served as the evening’s emcees and introduced Capkin, who delivered a tribute to Hughes. The girls’ and boys’ basketball teams then ran out, throwing shirts into the crowd.
Throughout the evening, LM’s dance team, cheer team, swim and dive team, and boys’ and girls’ basketball teams performed or competed. The basketball teams split into co-ed maroon and white squads, playing intersquad quarters between performances. Audience members also took part in relay races and shootouts, adding to the energy of the night.
Maroon Madness is open to the entire district, and the crowd reflected that, with community members of all ages filling the gym. Boys’ Varsity Basketball Manager Sam Chalal ’27 said his favorite moment was “seeing Kamari play and his excitement.” Bailey added that “it was super fun and a great success,” noting how exciting it was to see “lots of different teams come together and different parts of our community.” She also highlighted the popularity of newer activities, explaining that “mini golf and the balloon relay race were extremely successful and helped make the event even better.” Looking ahead, she hopes even more students and district families will attend in future years “to make the event even bigger.”
