From Nov. 4-10, students helped raise awareness for different types of cancer during the sophomore class’s cancer awareness week.

Cancer is a disease caused by an uncontrolled division of abnormal cells in a part of the body. Approximately 38.5 percent of men and women will be diagnosed with cancer of any site at some point during their lifetime. Students wore different colors each day for different cancers. The color black represented melanoma, orange represented kidney cancer, violet represented

Hodgkin’s lymphoma, white represented lung cancer, and pink represented breast cancer.
Students also helped raise awareness by raising money through their fourth hour classes. The top three classes that raised the most money received prizes from Buffalo Wild Wings and Jet’s. The highest class participation of wearing the designated colors received bagels and cream cheese.

The week of cancer awareness is especially important to those who have family or friends diagnosed with cancer.

“It’s to nice know people have sympathy for the cause,” senior Madison Mosher said. “It feels like the end of the world when your going through the process with the person, the whole week just really helps.”

Cancer awareness not only helps friends and family who have had to deal with close ones battling cancer, it directly impacts survivors of the disease. Senior Noah Wexler, who has been diagnosed with medulloblastoma brain cancer, said he’s very appreciative of the awarenesss.

“I think it’s very important to raise awareness for a very serious disease,” Wexler said. “Anyone battling cancer should stay confident.”

Wexler has many encouraging words for people dealing with this very serious disease. “I believe they should take everything one day at a time,” Wexler said. “You should stay strong and never forget your goals in life.”
Throughout the week, students came together to donate money and help spread awareness for just an important cause.

“It was great to see the school come together on such an important cause,” junior Sienna Schulz said. “It really shows how great a school Utica is.”

As the end of the week came, students were able to raise approximately $2,000 for the American Cancer Society.

“I’m glad we were able to raise that much money,” junior Mackenzie Malone said. “I feel great that the school was able to achieve that and hopefully the awareness for cancer continues to spread.”

Cancer awareness week helped bring the school together to support a cause in which millions of people are affected yearly. The whole week was important to many people throughout the school. Whether you are a survivor, know someone diagnosed with cancer, or help support the cause, the whole week impacted everyone throughout the whole school.