S-Club holds second annual Brain Tumor Awareness Week

By Reagan Estes
Staff Writer

In conjunction with the non-profit organization We-Can Pediatric Brain Tumor Network and its founder Gigi McMillan, S-Club members senior Logan Griffith and junior Anna Pavlova organized the event. They encouraged students to participate in Brain Tumor Awareness Week as well as become more aware of brain cancer and brain injuries by putting statistics and information in the daily bulletin and selling bracelets.

“We want to promote how common brain injuries and brain cancer can be,” Griffith said. “Brain tumors affect children all over the world and often times are not noticed until the teenage years. Students should understand that it can affect anyone.”

All of the money that S-Club raises will benefit brain tumor patients. The money will go to We-Can and to Jack’s Camp, a camp for brain tumor patients.

“Everyone will benefit from Brain Tumor Awareness Week,” Griffith said. “The students will benefit personally and the patients will benefit from the money raised.”

Throughout the week, S-Club members sold light blue, glow-in-the-dark bracelets for $1 that read “2nd Annual Brain Tumor Awareness Week.” The money from the bracelets helped to fund a bowling party for the brain tumor patients and the excess was donated to Jack’s Camp.

“The party is for patients and S-Club girls,” Griffith said. “It is the patients and their families that will truly benefit. It is a chance for them to come and relax, be themselves, and just have fun.”

Aside from Brain Tumor Awareness Week, S-Club has been raising money for and volunteering with We-Can for over 10 years. Members attend Sandwich Nights each month where they interact with patients in addition to making blankets to deliver to patients in the hospital.

“We Can offers information and emotional support to families whose children have brain cancer,” McMillan said.

In addition to working with We-Can, members participate in many projects sponsored by Soroptimist, make lunches for the homeless, work with senior citizens and collect prom dresses. S-Club is affiliated with an International women’s organization called Soroptimist.

“Brain Tumor Awareness Week was a huge success, and we plan to continue it in the future,” vice president Hayden Ozawa said.