There’s probably only one club that could convince Scarborough High School’s football team to wear pink for one of their games: the Pink Ribbon Club.
The local chapter of a national group, this is only its third year as a club, but Pink Ribbon Club members are already well-known and growing fast; the number of members has tripled since its first year. There are now 37 active members, led by six board members. Together, they raise money and awareness for cancer and breast cancer research.
The purpose of the club is to “support positive activities and experiences for community members affected by cancer,” said Mary Markowski, a health teacher at the high school and the club’s advisor. She sees the club’s impact through “how people from the community say that it means a lot to be talking about [cancer] and raising awareness even at the high school level.”
Last year, the Pink Ribbon Club raised a total of $1,100, and it has already raised $1,000 this year. Members help local people affected by cancer and donate all remaining funds at the end of the year to the Maine Cancer Foundation.
In October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, each fall sports team held a “Pink” game. Athletes wore pink socks and armbands while the club sold “Storm for the Cure” T-shirts and pink ribbon pins. The club also sold the shirts during school lunches, selling about 50 shirts and 200 ribbons.
While all members are involved, the officers are crucial. “They get incredible leadership experience,” said Markowski. “There are student-run meetings, they do all the contacts. They plan and execute everything and I just guide them.”
The six board members are responsible for interacting with the community and coming up with ideas for new fundraisers. Because of this interaction, they are truly able to see the effects of their efforts.
“When we know the people who are struggling and are able to help them, I think that makes all the difference,” said Jamie Rowe, a senior at the high school and president of the club. “It also helps us understand how severe this cancer is and how much pain and suffering, mentally and physically, [is] involved in the process, which is sometimes really hard to grasp.”
Rowe is proud of what the club has been able to accomplish in only three years. All of its money comes from fundraisers, as there is no fee to join the club, nor a start-up account from the school. Though the club’s biggest fundraisers – members raise the most profits from ribbon sales – are over, members are by no means done working for the year.
Last year, the club set up jars at school lunches with the names of different teachers who had volunteered, and allowed students to put donations in their jar of choice. At the end of the fundraiser, all the teachers dyed their hair pink for a day. Though they will not repeat the fundraiser again this year, they are planning to involve the teachers in some way.
While the fundraisers themselves are often fun, in the end it is seeing the difference made by all their efforts that make it worthwhile for club members.
“Being able to see the change, help, or relief that we can bring to a family is the best thing in the world and honestly what keeps us motivated,” Rowe said.
Ali Pelczar is a junior at Scarborough High School.
The Pink Ribbon Club at Scarborough High School raises money for
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