Anthony DeLuca

"No printed word, nor spoken plea can teach young minds what they can be. Not all the books on all the shelves— but what the teachers are themselves.” -Rudyard Kipling

This quote has been on my mind a lot over the past few months as I’ve watched our dear friend, colleague and fellow Panther, Tony DeLuca (or Mr. Deluca to his students) continue his battle with post-Lymphoma symptoms.

Those who have been fortunate enough to work alongside or share a classroom with Tony know that he has been more than a teacher in the Bloomsburg Area School District for the past 17 years. He has been a mentor, a source of community spirit, a role model for good citizenry and a consistently bright presence for our students and their families. Throughout his years of service, he has consistently shown us the true impact educators can have on young lives simply by being himself every day. But, as I’ve spent time with Tony over these past years, and especially the past few months, I’ve seen a man who has a few more very important lessons to teach his friends, students and colleagues — that hope, determination and perseverance are extremely powerful.

I’m reaching out to you today to ask for your help in supporting Tony Deluca, our dear friend and beloved Bloomsburg Memorial teacher as he continues to combat post-cancer symptoms that have taken away his motor skills, speech skills, and ability to walk.

Though Tony has met every one of his physical and emotional battles to date with the kind of upbeat spirit that only he could muster, his road to recovery continues to be challenging and costly. He and his family are currently spending $100/ week to continue his physical, occupational and speech therapy. The ongoing cost of his therapy, medical bills, and other expenses have quickly added up, leaving him and his family in a difficult financial situation.

We are calling on our Panther community and families to join us to help us as we raise money to cover some of Tony’s ongoing medical bills and therapy expenses. Your donation, no matter how small, will make a tremendous difference in his life and will allow him to continue to show his students what can be achieved through hard work, perseverance, and a bit of support.

Thank you for your generous help and support.

Sincerely,

Alicia Archuleta and the Tony DeLuca Support Team