ASMS Students Turn Campus Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Week
Students at Mobile's Alabama School of Mathematics and Science organized a week-long Pink Project to raise funds for breast cancer research.
The Alabama School of Mathematics and Science in downtown Mobile spent a week in October 2014 turning its hallways pink, with students and staff coming together for a series of Breast Cancer Awareness Month activities built around community, remembrance and fundraising.
The centerpiece of the week was a themed lunch where students, faculty and staff gathered over pink-colored treats, including cotton candy and cupcakes, a lighthearted way to kick off several days of programming built around the cause. The idea for the effort, known around campus as the “Pink Project,” came from ASMS junior Jala Hayes, who worked with fellow students, sophomores Bri Walker and Dominique Williams, to bring the plan to life. ASMS Director of Student Services Apryle Williams credited the students with driving the project from concept to execution.
Throughout the week, students and staff had the chance to purchase a “Tie a Prayer” ribbon, a small tribute meant to honor both breast cancer survivors and those who lost their fight with the disease. The school also organized face painting and “appreciation grams,” notes filled with encouraging and uplifting messages that students could send to classmates, teachers or staff members during the awareness push. Every dollar raised through the week’s activities was directed to the Susan G. Komen Foundation, one of the best-known organizations funding breast cancer research and patient support nationwide.
Organizers encouraged the whole school community to “wear a little pink all week,” turning the color into a visible, everyday reminder of the cause across campus. The programming culminated that Saturday, when members of the ASMS community joined the local Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk, adding an in-person, citywide component to a week that had otherwise played out on campus.
About ASMS and the causes
The Alabama School of Mathematics and Science, established by the Legislature in 1989, is a public residential high school in Mobile that admits students from across the state. The Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walks are organized nationally by the American Cancer Society, while Susan G. Komen, where the week’s proceeds went, is a separate breast cancer organization.
