Cancer Awareness Club just wrapped up its biggest event of the year: Adopt-a-Family. The club participates in this event every year during Christmas to help out a family in need who has been affected by cancer. To pay for the gifts, the club raffled off a Bills basket for $5 a ticket.
The PUNT Foundation, which provides financial and emotional support to families facing pediatric cancer, provides the name of a family in need to the Cancer Awareness Club. Typically, each year a family from Buffalo is randomly assigned to the Cancer Awareness Club. There is no way to choose a certain family because they are picked depending on how big the family is and how much they are asking for. The families are from all around the Buffalo region, so the chances of getting one that lives close to the school are low. However, this year was different.
The club’s Co-president Lana Hollins has connections with PUNT, which makes the process easier. Hollins said, “Usually they’re very selective with the process,” as many who request a family to sponsor don’t get one. She continued, “We happen to have a family friend connection with one of the ladies that runs [PUNT]. She usually gives us a family after we fill out a form of how much money we will raise and how big of a family we want.” Orchard Park always receives a family because they have done it for years and have a track record of raising money and following through.
Public Relations Officer Aqsa Butt said, “…this year was incredibly special because we were given a family that lives in Orchard Park. On top of that, the young boy goes to one of the schools in the district.”
The club members traditionally purchase gifts on their own and use the money raised from the basket raffle to purchase gift cards for the parents of the family. A few of the officers gathered together over the long weekend to wrap the gifts that were delivered to the family on December 16th.
This is one of the club’s favorite events because it is a fun experience, and they’re doing something that is good for the community and helpful for the people in it.
One of the benefits of Cancer Awareness Club is that it helps the community in a hands-on way and has a significant impact, which is a unique feature among clubs at OPHS. Vice President Eva Gross said, “Although there are so many good things about this event, it’s also fun to wrap the gifts together and know we are doing something that will positively impact the family.”
Gross added, “My favorite part of the Adopt-a-Family event is that the club can directly help patients. Donating money or having a fundraiser is different from picking out Christmas gifts for a specific family. It’s much more personal.” The family chosen will have a great Christmas and the club is excited to do it all again next year.
