“So here’s the reality: cancer sucks,” activity advisor Michelle Munson said.
In 2024, over two million cases of cancer will be diagnosed in the United States alone, with an estimated 600,000 people dying from the disease.
Since 2013, Liberty has been fundraising for a nonprofit organization called Wings of Karen, which funds breast cancer research. Patriots in Pink is a longstanding tradition at Liberty which supports this noble cause.
With the money collected by Liberty, Wings of Karen donates to the University of Washington Cancer Research Institute to help develop breast cancer vaccines.
“While that money is going to work on a breast cancer vaccine, with time, the hope is that it will open the doors to other cancer vaccines,” Munson said.
Every year, the Associated Student Body (ASB) works hard to organize a coin drive and a t-shirt sale.
The coin drive is a class competition which takes place during lunchtime. Students drop coins into bins labeled with their graduation years, competing to gain the most points. However, there is a fun twist where classes can sabotage each other by placing bills in other classes’ bins, which count as negative points.
This year, it was a spirited race, and the seniors came in first, followed by the sophomores, the freshmen, and the juniors.
ASB has led this effort by organizing all of these activities.
“I would like to highlight the ASB officers, because they all showed out to be as successful as we could be. I’m really proud of them and what they were able to accomplish for our community,” Munson said.
The t-shirts were also an integral part of the fundraiser. Senior Executive Board President Makai La Madrid created this year’s design.
“I’ve had family members who’ve experienced breast cancer, so this cause is something that means a lot to me. I did research on symbols and specific shades of pink, making sure that this is something that I’d be proud to wear,” La Madrid said.
These shirts have helped bring the student body together behind this cause.
“One of the coolest things was that we had a saying, ‘Real Pats Wear Pink’ on the back of the shirt. It was created by senior Francis Menguita. I feel like it helps unite everybody, and it says that real patriots will support this cause,” La Madrid said.
This year, they raised $3,000 out of their $6,000 goal. Although they fell short, it was a meaningful effort.
“Meeting our goal would have been great, but I think the bigger picture is we came together to do the best that we could for a really great cause that brings our community together and can create a sense of belonging,” Munson said.
Throughout the ten years Liberty has been participating in Patriots in Pink, they have raised over $50,000, which has been significant to the work being done by the UW Medical Center.
“For me, the best part is watching our community come together. It’s people understanding that the world is bigger than this hill in Renton. It’s not just this little microcosm that is Liberty High School,” Munson said. “But while we’re here, what can we do to make the world a better place?”
Vaccines for cancer?
When people think about vaccines, they usually think about preventing infections such as flu, pneumonia, or COVID. However, there is exciting new research that might make cancers preventable by vaccines. Wings of Karen has been an instrumental supporter of this effort in the Pacific Northwest, having donated hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years to the University of Washington to further the development of these vaccines. The Wings of Karen Breast Cancer Vaccine (WOKVAC) is currently being developed by the UW Medicine’s Tumor Vaccine Group.
Cancer vaccines work by targeting specific proteins found just on cancer cells. The WOKVAC targets three proteins found on breast cancer cells. It is hoped that these vaccines can eliminate cancer before it can take hold and spread.
