In the spirit of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Roslyn High School has undertaken a lot of initiatives recently to show that pink isn’t just a color.
According to Nationalbreastcancer.org, “each year it is estimated that over 220,000 women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer and more than 40,000 will die.”
And, though it is rare, “2,150 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer and approximately 410 will die each year,” the organization reports.
To downgrade these unfathomable numbers, on Wednesday, Youth Against Cancer, or YAC, got students thinking pink, and wearing it, too. Tables were set up at the high school to collect donations in exchange for candy.
The effort reached into the sports clubs as well. Last week, the boys and girls JV and Varsity volleyball teams hosted “Spike Out Cancer.” This event raised over $1,000 for all types of cancer and brought lots of spectators to the high school gym bleachers.
“Spike Out Cancer was a fundraising event hosted by the Roslyn Varsity Volleyball program to honor cancer survivors, raise awareness about reducing cancer risk, and raise money to help the American Cancer Society fight the disease,” junior Nikki Nissan, a player on the girls’ varsity team, explained.
Each team went up against a Garden City High School team. The boys’ game was a league competition, the girls’ game just for fun, and although neither Roslyn team won, the objective of raising money and awareness was met. Though neither teams won, the real objectives were met.
“Spike Out Cancer was a way for both the girls and boys volleyball teams to raise money and awareness in many different ways,” says sophomore Ali Hosseinipour, a member of the boys Varsity team.
Members of the girls’ team sold pink ribbons and lollipops to students and faculty. There were lots of pink-themed baked goods for sale. Additionally, guests could buy shirts and participate in a silent auction, with items donated from local businesses.
Female players wore pink tie-dye shirts, and the boys could be spotted in light pink ones. Junior Sarah Carbanaro kept fans hyped and was available to take pictures with her bulldog spirit, in the bulldog mascot costume.
All proceeds from the Spike Out Event went to the American Cancer Society, to help in a plethora of ways. Dollars from cookies and ribbons all added up in the fight against cancer, assisting with diagnosis, treatment, recovery and hopefully, the effort to find a cure.
Roslyn students say they want to help everyone affected by cancer.
“It not only affects the victim, but their families and friends as well,” junior Kendall Reichbach added.
Freshman Nattily Soltanian agreed. “It’s very important to raise awareness about breast cancer and other cancers as well because it helps others that are in need and gives them hope to keep fighting strong with what they have.”
Nikki Nissan says the more people know about cancer-related illnesses, the more they might do to help. “By raising awareness, people become more educated about the topic and are willing to do more to contribute to the cause. Raising awareness is very important because it provides an opportunity to raise money to help fund research for better medicines and even ways to prevent certain cancers.”
Many students say events like this week’s Pink Day and last week’s Spike Out Cancer show even small donations make a big difference. “Raising awareness helps out everyone around you and could save a life,” Nattily Soltanian said.
