St. Hubert High School’s new Cancer Awareness Club (Hope Squad) is already making an impact. For their first service project, members created a holiday fundraising challenge called “Coins of Comfort Challenge” to help Bringing Hope Home support families financially and emotionally while navigating cancer treatment.
In all, there are about 40 members of the club. Senior Joyce Szczurek, the club president, is an ovarian cancer survivor who has been in remission for four years. Junior Emily Welsch, the vice president, finished treatment in September for thyroid and lymph node cancer. Club adviser Colleen Kean, Director of Institutional Advancement at the school, has battled ovarian cancer and breast cancer.
“We’re bringing awareness and raising awareness to different kinds of cancer that can come at any time,” Joyce said.
The club’s goal was to raise $200 for the family of a 9-year-old girl named Ava who is being treated for cancer at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Students were encouraged to put money in mason jars during homeroom from Dec. 3-10.
In the end, the girls raised $1,000.
“You ladies are rock stars,” Kean said during the Dec. 18 presentation.
Joyce’s homeroom, A4, raised the most money and received doughnuts from the school.
St. Hubert president Lizanne Pando and principal Gina MacKenzie attended the presentation, along with Brieanne Repp, school program and external events manager for Bringing Hope Home.
Repp said Bringing Hope Home helps families who have someone with cancer. Funds are used to pay utility bills and rent and mortgage payments and provide gift cards for Christmas. Since Coins of Comfort was such a success, Bringing Hope Home will be able to help Ava’s family and another family.
“Thank you for doing good. Keep doing good,” Repp told the girls.
The fundraiser for Ava, being treated at CHOP, was especially meaningful for Emily, who was also treated there.
“It really touched my heart,” she said.
In addition to Coins of Comfort, the club has written letters of support to cancer patients and oncologists. And they’ve sold candy canes to raise money for care packages to be delivered to CHOP for Valentine’s Day.
“I’m proud of all the work we are able to do,” Joyce said. ••
