Student projects focus on cancer-awareness
‘Sport-athon’ at IVHS on March 6&7 to raise funds for mini-Relay
From our weekly issue dated March 04, 2009
Sabrina Van Tassel, Stephanie McCluer, Rachel Gibson, Ashley Webb. (Photo by IVN)
Illinois Valley High School senior Stephanie McCluer is a girl with a cause.
Last year her friend, Sabrina Van Tassel, was going through a scary time when her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer and was treated. She is now in remission. McCluer was inspired by the Van Tassel Family. She then heard about Relay For Life and watched the Grants Pass Relay last June.
McCluer’s interest grew as she began researching cancer and talking to survivors. This made her aware of the startling number of Illinois Valley residents who are cancer survivors or who have lost a loved one to cancer. This gave her the idea for her senior year project, a mini Relay For Life with a goal of raising $1,500 for Relay For Life.
According to Grants Pass Relay for Life co-chairman Denise Dillard, “Relay For Life is a unique fund-raising event that allows participants from all walks of life – including patients, medical support staff, corporations, civic organizations, churches, and community volunteers – to join in the fight against cancer. Participants walk or run around a track, relay-style, for 24 hours. Teams gather at a Grants Pass-area high school for the event in late spring to show their support in the fight against cancer.”
McCluer was motivated by her new knowledge and gathered some IVHS friends to talk about her cancer-awareness project and form a committee. Members include students from various grades, including sophomores Ashley Webb, Rachel Gibson, Sabrina Van Tassel, and junior Heidi Unger. The school adviser supervising the project is Heather Merrill.
Gibson commented, “I’m glad to be part of it. It’s inspirational and a great cause.”
Webb created a slide-show about kinds of cancer, its causes and research for cures. The show was presented during a special assembly in January for the entire student body. McCluer spoke about cancer and honored her friend, Sabrina, with flowers and a tiara, telling about her family’s cancer experience.
With the January program, McCluer wanted to highlight how cancer affects everyone in a family, their friends, and the community. She invited the student body to form teams to raise money for cancer research, which will culminate with a special Friday, March 20 event at IVHS. Students have raised $740 so far, and are going strong, said relay committee members.
Van Tassel shared her own enthusiasm for the project, noting, “It’s a really cool thing for me to help with this event because of the inspiration of my Mom.”
Webb added, “My whole family has had cancers. My aunts had breast cancer. My great-grandfather died of lung cancer. There’s a lot of skin cancer too. I wanted to learn more about cancer and do what I could. This also gave me an idea for my senior project.”
McCluer said that it was an emotional school program in January. Students responded and formed fund-raising crews for the Relay For Life cause. Staff and teachers applauded the students’ efforts. The program educated staff and students about cancer research and about McCluer’s senior project.
She admits that she enjoys organizing events and that her senior project will provide useful experience for her future career plans. Her enthusiasm for the project is infectious, spreading to other students and IVHS staff.
“I like doing big things, planning big events like this,” she explained.
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The project crews paired with a teacher-adviser. They raised money with penny drives, recycling, dances and bake sales. Some plan a breakfast at Illinois Valley Senior Center, a walk-athon, and a sport-athon.
Jesse Orndoff is the IVHS wrestling team co-captain helping to plan the IVHS sport-athon Fri. and Sat., March 6 and 7, along with co-captain Alex Paulson. Students will participate in various competitions and raise money for the mini Relay For Life.
The finalé for McCluer’s senior project is planned as a March 20 school celebration, honoring cancer survivors with a mini-relay indoors, a special ceremony, and a “jail.” It will be a mock enclosure on a stage. Students will have a chance to pay to send a crew member or favorite teacher to “jail” and bail them out for the Relay For Life cause.
This event will celebrate many Illinois Valley cancer survivors, and McCluer hopes to announce that the students reached the $1,500 goal at the ceremony. All who participated in the project will be acknowledged at the ceremony and by the Grants Pass Relay For Life organizers. Dillard, 2009 Relay co-chairman, said she believes it is marvelous what Stephanie McCluer and IVHS are doing for cancer awareness.
McCluer plans to participate in the Grants Pass Relay For Life at North Valley High School on June 13 and 14. Any cancer survivor, their family, friends and supporters can join teams to walk and enjoy the fun, food and activities of the event.
Relay For Life events are organized by the American Cancer Society nationwide to celebrate cancer survivors, raise money for cancer research and hold memorials for cancer victims. For information about the IVHS project, phone Merrill at 592-2116. For information about the Grants Pass event, phone Dillard at 659-2601.
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