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By Laura Drinan
Hometown Weekly Reporter
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and at Walpole High School, everybody knows it. Walpole High’s Student Council spends hours and hours each year planning and prepping for the various activities to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer. This year, Student Council planned the second annual Walpole High School Walk for Breast Cancer to show their support for breast cancer research.
Annie Dolan, a senior at the high school, chaired the event and organized the evening with the help of a committee of about twenty students. As swarms of students left to start the walk, Annie stayed behind with several classmates to wait for any latecomers and collect donations before beginning the mile walk.
Leaving from the high school at 7 p.m., the students were escorted by a police officer to the center of town and back, which ended up being about a one-mile walk. In previous years, the high schoolers would go to Boston’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk, but decided last year that it would be more convenient and less expensive for the students do a walk in Walpole.
Kerri McMenimen, known as Ms. Mac at the high school, an English teacher and Student Council advisor, collaborated with the town to set up last year’s walk. Working with the Board of Selectmen and the police department, Ms. Mac and the Student Council were able to achieve Walpole Makes Strides for ACS.
All of the money raised at the event and on their GoFundMe page will be donated to the American Cancer Society. Walpole High’s Pink Dance, an annual tradition since 2012, also functions as a way for the high school students to raise money and awareness for breast cancer.
“This year, Johnson Middle School contacted me, so their eighth graders are with us, we have most of the sports captains from Walpole sports teams here, and some parents said last year people just started joining in while they were walking,” said Ms. Mac. “The kids come and get all pinked up and walk a mile. It’s low-key, but fun.”
Walpole’s Student Council received an amazing turnout for the second annual Walpole Makes Strides for ACS to raise awareness and money for breast cancer.
