Orangeville high school raises thousands for breast cancer research
Westside Secondary School in Orangeville has been named the top fundraising team for its efforts to raise thousands of dollars for Breast Cancer Canada.
"It's a really big accomplishment for both our students and our community that supports us. I think most people know someone who has been affected by the disease, which is where we have our students who volunteer to help," said Westside Secondary School's vice president Christine Kirkland. "It's really amazing to see their buy-in to give something back to somebody else."
The school has hosted 'Pink Day' since 2004 when a staff member was diagnosed with breast cancer. Pink Day is held every October and is recognized across Canada as Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
This past October, the school raised $15,635 for Breast Cancer Canada for the Raise More Challenge and has since been named the top fundraising team.
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox
Westside Secondary School in Orangeville shows up for Pink Day in October in support of breast cancer research. (Source: Westside Secondary School)
"I raised over $1,500. I don't know how much specifically, but I just wanted to do it because I wanted to give back to my community. I just recently moved to Orangeville, and I just wanted to do something for this great place," said Grade 11 student Manhar Khurana.
For Grade 9 student Ryan Tovell, the cause hit close to home.
"I've had people in my own family have cancer, and it's just nice knowing that people are getting supported in that way and that there's hope out there," said Tovell.
In a last-minute decision to support the cause, Grade 12 student Emma Kirkland shaved her head during the Pink Day festivities.
"I chose to because I knew it would be a really good incentive for people in my grade to donate," she said.
This marks the fifth time the school came in on top as the lead fundraising team, benefitting the community in a big way, with a portion of the funds going directly to Headwaters Health Care Centre.
"Breast Cancer Canada gives back $5,000 to the local oncology unit. So, that's $25,000 that's come back to support our oncology unit at the hospital. It is amazing that people can have their treatments locally and not have to travel out of town," said Kirkland.
Since Pink Day began, the staff and students at Westside have raised close to $200,000, and they have no plans of stopping. Westside Secondary School hopes to remain the lead fundraising team again in October.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Pro-plastic lobbyist presence at UN talks is 'troubling,' say advocates
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Trump's lawyers grill ex-tabloid publisher as 1st week of hush money trial testimony nears a close
After prosecutors' lead witness painted a tawdry portrait of “catch-and-kill” tabloid schemes, defence lawyers in Donald Trump's criminal trial on Friday sought to dig into an account of the former publisher of the National Enquirer and his efforts to protect Trump from negative stories during the 2016 election.