Club of the Week: Cancer Awareness Club

by Alyssa Craven, Staff Writer

Cancer Awareness Club is looking forward to helping people this year with their fundraising events.

The club puts on a special fundraiser every year for breast cancer awareness month in October.

Brianna Lund, a member of the club majoring in chemistry and physics, said, “We usually have a Think Pink game, which is a football game where we have a stand and we sell breast cancer awareness shirts, usually pink themed goodies and treats and we hold raffle baskets.”

Sierra Griffith, president of the club and majoring in public relations said the club receives the items for baskets largely from Indianola and Des Moines

“We’ve gotten donations from The Minnesota Vikings, Iowa State, and Iowa. Then we make raffle baskets with our donations. The money that we get from raffle tickets is donated to Can Do Cancer,” Griffith said.

Can Do Cancer is a non-profit organization that serves the breast cancer patients in the Des Moines area. This organization provides things like giving dinner to families who have a family member with cancer going through chemotherapy, or motivational support and information about breast cancer, according to their website.

In the spring the club also hosts a 5K race to raise money to help in the fight against cancer.

“We invite the community and then Simpson to come and participate. Their entry fee, all the money we make from there gets donated,” Griffith said.

The club also does smaller activities throughout the year to help raise money and bring more attention to cancer.

“We’ve made Christmas cards or holiday cards in the winter. We also work on tie blankets for the Blank Children’s Hospital,” Griffith said.

The members of the club are passionate about their work and enjoy helping other people.

“Everyone has always known someone that’s been affected by cancer and as someone that has lost family from cancer, it’s always good to raise awareness. It’s always something that can bring people together,” said Lund.

The Cancer Awareness Club currently has about 10 members and meets on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. in Carver every week.