The Walpole High School Student Council raised a total of almost $3,300 from the first ever annual Pink Walk on Thursday, October 13. Student council held the new event — a 1.4 mile long parade around the central area of town — to raise money for the American Cancer Society. Students, parents and members of the community all participated in the fundraiser, which helped student council’s effort to fundraise during Breast Cancer Awareness month.
“I think it went really well. We had a great turnout and everyone is excited about it. Hopefully this is an event we can keep doing here,” said student council President Michael Timson.
The event started on Thursday evening, when approximately 200 participants, all dressed in pink, congregated outside the front of Walpole High School, where student council collected donations for the American Cancer society.
Shortly after 7:00 p.m., the first wave of walkers began their parade that ran down Common Street and Main street, and looped around back to the school. Several members of the Walpole Police force monitored the event, and even played music for the walkers as they guided the parade.
Following the walk, participants were invited back to the school where student council served baked goods, hot chocolate, and pink lemonade.
Student council collected a substantial amount of money from donations during the event, as well as donations raised from a Go Fund Me account that was set up prior to the walk. Student council will keep their Go Fund Me page open until further notice so more donations can be made.
Student council held the first ever Pink Walk in place of the recently-cancelled Pink Dance, whose proceeds also went to the American Cancer Society. The event also replaced student council’s participation in the American Cancer Society’s official “Making Strides to walk to benefit Cancer,” which had low attendance in the past.
Unlike the American Cancer Society’s annual walk in Boston, many students from all four grades attended student council´s Pink Walk, and gave student council positive feedback.
“It is great that we as a student body can come together and fight against such an important cause,” said junior Breanna Andreassi.
Student council hopes that the Pink Walk will become a new tradition at Walpole High, where students can unite for a good cause.
“We raised a lot of money,” said senior WHS Student Council representative, James Randall. “We had a lot of people come out here to support the cause, and that’s all you can really ask for.”
