Three Doctors Foundation Brings Holiday Cheer, Positive Message To Franklin High School

Some of the gifts collected by the Three Doctors Foundation during the Franklin High School event Dec. 8.

Franklin High School was the scene Dec. 8 of a holiday festival, courtesy of a Newark-based foundation.

The Three Doctors Foundation, a group created to promote a message of health, education and youth mentoring, brought its annual Positive Peer Challenge and Holiday Health Basketball Benefit to Warrior Country.

The day consisted of a vendor fair, displays by a number of student groups in the “Positive Peer Pressure Challenge,” events for kids such as face-painting and the main event basketball game.

There was also entertainment before the game and during half-time.

The foundation was formed 18 years ago by three doctors – hence the name – who grew up together in Newark.

“It’s our way of giving back to the community,” said Dr. Sampson Davis, one of the foundation’s co-founders. The other founders are Dr. Rameck Hunt and Dr. George Jenkins.

“We felt it was it was important for us to give back in some way,” he said. “So many people had helped us along the way, in college and graduate school and to become doctors, that we felt a sense of urgency for us to give back. We formed this foundation while we still had student loans.”

The annual event is usually held at different schools, he said.

“This year we’re lucky to have it here, a beautiful facility,” he said. “All the teachers, the leadership here has opened the doors to our event.”

“What’s beautiful about this school here in Franklin Township is that the teachers, the leadership, everybody has been invested in the program,” Dr. Davis said. “It helps to have everyone have all hands on deck.”

“Not only do we, the Three Doctors Foundation, feel a tremendous reward in what we’re doing, but the whole community, the whole school the leadership, everyone feels a sense of ownership, which is rewarding in a lot of ways,” he said.

The event was free, but attendees were asked to bring an unwrapped gift or toy.

“What we do is we collect gifts and toys, everything that we give away to those who are less fortunate than we are at this time of the year,” Dr. Davis said. “We want everyone to be able to celebrate the holidays.”

The Positive Peer Pressure Challenge is a competition that encourages youth to collectively do good works. The winners at the FHS event received prizes ranging from Kindle readers to new laptop computers.

The foundation also sponsors a walk-a-thon and a mentoring program, Dr. Davis said.

“We operate on a premise of HELM: Health, Education, Leadership and Mentoring,” he said.

People who wish to play in the basketball game sign up early in the year and participate in the program, he said.

Dr. Jenkins thanked the students for coming out to see the program.

“It’s always overwhelming for us to achieve such support,” he said. “I know a lot of you young people could be home spending your Saturday watching cartoons and doing anything other than coming out to share your Saturday with us, so we really appreciate it.”

Schools Superintendent John Ravally thanked the organization for coming to FHS, and also thanked Franklin Middle School – Hamilton Street campus vice-principal Karen Adams for her work in helping to organize the event.

Orvyl Wilson, the district’s Director of School Management, said the district was happy to showcase its “Positive Behavior” program in the peer pressure challenge.

“We believe that through these efforts, our students will be given the tools they need to make positive changes in our schools and in our communities,” he said. “And they ultimately will be able to achieve social, emotional and academic success in whatever they choose to do.”

Here are some scenes from the day:

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