Performing a chant at the Little Lions Clinic, senior pom squad member Ashley Hutton cheers at the annual Pink Out football game on Oct. 11. Proceeds from the Little Lions Clinic are donated toward breast cancer awareness.

Photo by Kendra Schwartz

By Brooke Braman
Spirit squad members will be splitting their time between cheering at sporting events and selling bracelets for the rest of the semester as they work to raise money for the American Cancer Society.
In a joint charity fundraiser with Dale Willey Automotive, spirit squad members will sell individual pink wristbands for $3 or two wristbands for $5. The money raised will go to the American Cancer Society’s annual Making Strides Against Breast Cancer campaign.
“All of the money that we collect stays in Kansas City area. It helps fund the Hope House, which provides lodging for a survivor and her family… It also provides for free wigs and mammograms,” said Gwen “Junior” Wedd, the spirit squad coordinator.
In addition to providing these bracelets, Dale Willey Automotive has also pledged to donate $100 for every car sold this month to the Lawrence Memorial Hospital Breast Cancer Center.
Breast cancer is the second leading cause of women in America. This year, it is estimated that 220,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 40,000 will die. Though more common in women, breast cancer can develop in men as well.
In order to raise awareness about and money for research and treatment of this disease, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, celebrated annually in October, was established in the 1980s by the American Cancer Society and AstraZeneca, a global pharmaceuticals company.
Breast Cancer Awareness month has blossomed into a global event characterized by extravagant pink displays and vigorous fundraising. Whether it’s the local “Bras Across the Kaw” event or the Tokyo Tower being lit up in pink, communities across the world contribute to this public health event.
Spirit squad members, together expected to raise at least $1000, were eager to contribute to this worthy cause and to make the fundraiser a success.
“I’m happy to help and get involved,” freshman cheerleader Emma Posler said. “We are working really hard to raise as much money as we can.”
Several spirit squad members who are also on Student Council are excited about the coordinated effort to raise awareness for breast cancer and raise money for treatment and research.
“It will go hand-in-hand and support StuCo. Both [senior] Abbey Berland and I are members of the executive board of Student Council and the spirit squad. This fundraiser is meant to just build upon our partnership,” senior pom squad member Anna Meissbach said.
Freshman Student Council member, DJ Davis, also viewed these coordinated breast cancer awareness month events in a positive light.
“StuCo’s work is focused on raising awareness and the spirit squad is really working on fundraising, so the two work well together,” Davis said.
Though the spirit squad participates in several charity fundraisers throughout the year, like Adopt-A-Family and the canned food donations at Pack the House, this one is special.
Wedd, who organized the spirit squad’s involvement in this fundraiser, is a breast cancer survivor.
“I am going on five years free of cancer,” Wedd said. “I was lucky that I had regular physicals and that my doctor caught the tumor before even having a mammogram. My first grandchild was born just after my cancer was detected, that made me even more determined to take care of business. Almost five years later I have three awesome grandchildren and I want to set a good example and be around a long time.”