The Student News Site of Westfield High School

Hi's Eye

The Student News Site of Westfield High School

Hi's Eye

The Student News Site of Westfield High School

Hi's Eye

WHS shows support

by Megan Blutfield

Seas of pink fill WHS throughout October as sports teams plan ways to observe Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
  
According to nationalbreastcancer.org, Breast Cancer Awareness Month is an annual campaign to increase awareness of the disease; although people are familiar with breast cancer, many forget to take steps for early detection.
 
At WHS, there are several ways the school community recognizes this cause. The volleyball team’s annual Pink Out will be held on Oct. 17. According to Coach Beverly Torok, the team asks local vendors to donate to have their names put on t-shirts sold to the WHS community. She added that the team helps raise awareness by putting pink ribbons as well as statistics and facts on signs in front of the school.
 
Said senior Tri-Captain Megan Mondon: “This month is important to us because our coach Beverly Torok had breast cancer, but she is now cancer free. This is the reason we started our Pink Out event, and we are all very proud of the work we do and the awareness we raise for the disease.”
 
According to Torok, the event began as a celebration the year after she had her surgery. Said Torok: “For me on a personal level, it’s a point of the year where I truly celebrate that I currently have my health, and I’m physically able to do things that I was able to do before and that I have recovered. There’s many out there who are not in that situation and are at different stages of their treatment. You never know if it’s ever going to raise its ugly head again and come back and haunt you, so it’s very important to celebrate.”
 
The football team also works to raise awareness for breast cancer. According to senior Captain Nick Buontempo, the team wears pink socks and pink laces on their shoes for every game throughout October. There will also be pink ribbons spray painted onto the field in order to commemorate this month. Coach James DeSarno added that the team goes to support the volleyball team at the Pink Out each year.
 
Said Buontempo: “We feel that it’s important we do our part to spread awareness. Even if it is just doing something as simple as wearing pink, it’s having the intention to make it more than just that.”
 
Added Coach DeSarno: “I think that any time you raise awareness for something as important as breast cancer and cancer research, you are helping the cause. . . . Anybody can do something little to help raise awareness. It can only help.”
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