As October paints the world in shades of pink, the Wakefield High School (WHS) Cancer Awareness Society (CAS) is utilizing this month to help spread awareness of the disease that kills over 40,000 women per year. With persistence and dedication, the club is seizing the opportunity of Breast Cancer Awareness Month to spread the word, share stories of resilience and inspire change in the fight against breast cancer.

Junior Co-Founder and Vice President Tess Burgart plays a pivotal role in driving the society’s mission to raise awareness about breast cancer throughout the month of October. In doing so, she helped spearhead the initiative to sell and distribute pink wristbands to fundraise for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and the Susan B. Komen Foundation. 

“We decided to hand out [the] wristbands to encourage people to support breast cancer research and become more involved in the fight against [the disease],” Burgart said. “Being able to wear the bands is a great way of representing the cause and showing support.”

The wristbands were sold throughout the week of Oct. 9-13, just in time for Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day on Friday, Oct. 13. Partnering with the Wakefield Athletic Boosters, wristbands were sold at various ‘Pink Out’ sporting events throughout the week, including football, soccer and volleyball games. Sophomore Myndee Ly, Historian of the CAS, shares some statistics of the fundraiser.

“We took donations of a dollar or more and [ultimately] raised $350 in total; $175 for each of the two foundations,” Ly said. 

At games, fans were encouraged to wear pink in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. However, the community support and enthusiasm for the wristband initiative doesn’t end here. In addition to continuing to create more volunteer opportunities for students, Burgart provides insight into the club’s plans for Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month in November. 

“We plan to make blankets for patients in the hospital [with pancreatic cancer.] We will have our meeting on Nov. 3 [to] discuss pancreatic cancer and how it affects many people,” Burgart said. 

Camden Hall, an active member of the CAS, notes that the club has big plans for the upcoming year to continue spreading awareness for various cancer-related causes. 

“In December, we will be hosting a toy drive for Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month,” Hall said.

Throughout the month of October –and months to come– leaders of the WHS CAS have shown the dedication and determination necessary to make a meaningful impact on individuals and families who have dealt with the disease. Yusha Ahsan, president of the CAS, provides insight into the inspiration behind the club itself.

“[We wanted] to educate students about the different forms of cancer and help cancer patients in any way we can,” Ahsan said. “Three of my grandparents died of cancer and my aunt is currently suffering from multiple myeloma, so I wanted to have a club in school where we could create a safe place for anyone to talk about their personal struggles with the disease.”

Whether having dealt with cancer personally or having a loved one fight the disease themselves, many individuals in the Wakefield community are sympathetic to the cause. Ly highlights the community aspect behind the club’s motivations.

“Cancer Awareness Society was created to aid and support cancer patients and affected families,” Ly said. “Having [the community] come together to raise money [for this cause] is [so] impactful, since [the disease] is so [prevalent].”

With new fundraising initiatives and volunteer opportunities in the works for the upcoming months, Ahsan is optimistic about the club’s future at WHS. 

“Cancer is a disease that is more prominent than we might think, so it’s important to have a space to learn about it and help others,” Ahsan said.