Jardine Elementary shows support to educator with ALS

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - Jardine Elementary School held a “blue out” day to honor a special Jardine educator who has ALS, also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

At Jardine, March 31st is known as Dr. Stegman Day. A day to honor Dr. Bridget Stegman on her birthday, an instructional coach at Jardine, who was diagnosed with ALS in 2022. Since then, Jardine students and staff have shown their support for Stegman.

To celebrate Dr. Stegman’s birthday, students got to participate in a phone contest on Friday. Staff members asked trivia questions about Dr. Stegman to the students and had the fourth caller answer the question, and if the caller gets it right, the student wins a prize.

Jardine Elementary also announced that a check worth $5,686 will be going to the ALS Association’s Mid-America Chapter because the students and staff wanted to do their best to support Dr. Stegman.

“Raising awareness for ALS has really become a mission for us here at Jardine Elementary, and it has also been a mission for her,” said Angela Pomeroy, Jardine Elementary’s principal. “And so, just raising awareness, understanding more about the disease, obviously, raising money for the disease has become a passion for all of us, so we love Dr. Stegman, our community supports her, and, of course, we love honoring her today.”

Jardine will also host its second annual 5K for ALS awareness this May to support Dr. Stegman.