(COVINGTON, La.) — At the beginning of the St. Paul’s school year, Miles Roppolo, Kevin Katich, Brycen Brown, and Austin Leblanc started a charity which helps raise money for patients at the Oncology unit of Children’s Hospital called Paws With a Cause.

“This mission is supporting children who have to suffer through the severe burden of cancer,” the group’s webpage says. “We will support the children in need through financial help and moral support (donations of toys).”

Paws With a Cause is a pledge fundraiser based off the amount of points the varsity football team scores at the end of the year. Based on whatever the pledge is, the amount will increase according to points scored.

“Our main platform will be the Saint Paul’s varsity football team,” the website says. “We will ask that people make pledges based on the number of points the team has scored at the end of September.”

The pledges will multiply, helping the students reach their goal. For example, if one was to donate 10 cents, that amount could multiply exponentially.

“Throughout the season, that money will rise for each point the team scores,” senior Miles Roppolo said, “so that 10 cents could total out to be $30 by the end of the season.”

Inspiration for this fundraiser came from a class project prompt, and has now spread to create a project that will help many.

“We were in Mr. Logarbo’s marketing class (and) we had to come up with an idea that would help benefit the community,” senior Kevin Katich said. “A couple of weeks went by, and we realized that this could be expanded on.”

The group’s goal is to reach $10,000 in donations by the end of the football season. According to the Paws With a Cause website, they have currently raised 42% of their pledge goal. Once the pledge goal is reached, it’s up to the football team to multiply those pledges each Friday night.

“This cause helps raise money to help pay for the child’s medication and gas to get to and from appointments,” senior Brycen Brown said.

The members will accept donations, but the fundraiser is mainly pledge-based. To make a pledge, visit their pledge website.