Pink ribbons and wristbands littered the halls of Carlmont High School from Oct. 9 to Oct. 13, showing support for the thousands of people diagnosed with breast cancer each year.
Annually, roughly 252,710 women are diagnosed with the disease in the United States, and over 1.7 million are diagnosed worldwide, according to breastcancer.org.
“We hope students will be more aware of breast cancer and get more involved in helping to find a cure,” said Kayla Gustafson, a junior and ASB Spirit Hype commissioner.
The ASB Service Council and Activities Council have been working for many months in order to make the week as impactful as possible. The pink “Screamin’ Scots” tee-shirts and wristbands were ordered last year, and the week’s events had been planned for well over a year.
Each day was filled with various activities including Pink Day, pictures with cardboard cutouts, and free pink lemonade in the quad.
“A lot of what we do in ASB doesn’t require direct participation; we just want people to be aware of certain things such as breast cancer,” said Activities Director Jim Kelly. “The week of Oct. 9 to Oct. 13 was primarily chosen because October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.”
Carlmont’s Breast Cancer Awareness week only lasts for five days. However, the overall message and awareness it spreads is meant to be more long lasting.
“Increased awareness about the disease is our biggest goal during this week,” said Kelly.
Informational signs were put up throughout the school displaying facts about breast cancer. Some of these facts included “One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime” and “Breast cancer occurs when cells in the breast divide and grow out of control resulting in the formation of a tumor.”
The main goal of ASB for this event was to spread awareness, not only about the disease, but also about those affected by it, including some Carlmont students.
A sophomore, who desires anonymity, shares that Breast Cancer Awareness week brought back memories from when her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer.
She said, “It made me feel good that people are there to support others who have been through what my mom has been through.”
