PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — Colleagues raised money for a Pinellas County teacher battling stage 4 cancer.
Staff, students, teachers, and friends gathered Friday night at Grace Lutheran Church in Clearwater.
They held a fundraiser for Christian Meier, who was diagnosed with rectal cancer at the start of the 2023-2024 school year.
His family said the cancer had spread to his liver and pelvis. He started experiencing symptoms, including stomach pain and underwent a colonoscopy.
"Wednesday, August 9, right before school starting, we found out that the tumor was cancerous, sent it off for a biopsy, and by Friday, it was confirmed," said Christian's wife, Cynthia Meier.
Meier started his teaching career in New Jersey. He has spent the past 32 years teaching in Pinellas County. He is a history teacher at Academie Da Vinci Charter School in Dunedin.
The fundraiser included dinner, a live auction, a silent auction, and a donation box. So far, more than $17,000 has been raised to help the history teacher with medical bills.
"He's a really funny teacher. He's super kind. He always really loves his students and tries to help them. He's a mentor; you could go to him for anything," said Sage Smith, a former student.
Meier loves Star Trek, Star Wars, Harry Potter, and the New York Yankees. He attended Friday night's fundraiser wearing a New York Yankees jersey and ball cap.
"He started collecting baseball cards. He's a huge collector. There is one room in our house filled with Star Wars, Star Trek, Harry Potter, and baseball items. It can be anywhere from cards to action figures to board games...just about anything," said Cynthia Meier.
Meier will need three to four months of chemotherapy. He will also need radiation and surgery.
"It has a 25% survival rate, so it's a pretty big deal," said Cynthia.
"It's so amazing to see the community come together from different schools, different walks of life just for one person that they love," she added.
People may help Mr. Meier in several ways; to learn more, visit: academiedavinci.memberhub.com
To make a monetary donation, visit: academiedavinci.memberhub.com
