Alexandria — October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and students at T.C. Williams High School are gearing up to spread the word. Juniors Emma West and Janet Johnston have recently founded the TC Breast Cancer Awareness Club, and they hope that through activism and community involvement, T.C. Williams students will raise money and awareness for finding the cure for breast cancer.
Says West, “I created this club for personal reasons; my mother is a breast cancer survivor. I also believe that students should have more opportunities to make a difference in our community.” Co-president Janet Johnston also has personal interest in seeing the end of breast cancer. The Breast Cancer Awareness Club is completely student run with members eager to collaborate with their community to fight against the disease.
Breast cancer affects us all. Nearly 1 in 8 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime, making it the most common cancer among women; although rare, men can also develop breast cancer. Breast cancer starts when a mutation in a cell causes uncontrolled cell growth that develops in the tissue of the breast. It is a disease that has caused the deaths of countless loved ones and must be stopped.
The Breast Cancer Awareness Club’s main goal this school year is to raise enough money to send a few club members to participate in the 2013 Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. The walk, which is 39.3 miles long and takes place over the course of two days, will take place on May 4 and 5 in Washington, D.C. At $1,800 per walker, raising funds is an ambitious task, but the students are enthusiastic and optimistic that they will achieve their goal. In addition to the Avon Walk, the club is working on a number of short-term projects, such as organizing a TC letter-writing program for cancer patients.
In support of October Breast Cancer Awareness Month, club members are volunteering in the Oct. 20, Making Strides Against Breast Cancer race in Washington D.C., as well as raising awareness and fundraising in their own school through poster campaigns, bake sales, distributing handmade pink ribbons, and selling t-shirts.
Keep updated with the latest news on breast cancer and the club by Liking the Facebook page “Alexandria Breast Cancer Awareness.”
Support the Cause At Los Tios Grill
On Monday, Oct. 29, from 4-9 p.m., the TC Breast Cancer Awareness Club is fundraising at Los Tios Grill at 2615 Mount Vernon Ave. where a percentage of the restaurant’s proceeds will be donated to fight breast cancer.