MONROE, N.C. — A group of Monroe High School students are calling on the community to come out and support those impacted by cancer.
They’ve organized their first cancer walk. Money raised will support free mammograms, breast health education, and resources for uninsured and underinsured women going through cancer treatment.
“Our main goal is just to have the whole community coming together,” Jocelyn Izoteco told Channel 9’s Elsa Gillis.
Monroe High students Izoteco and Reyna Castrejon are hopeful this high school track will be full this weekend -- full of people celebrating life and hope, honoring lost loved ones, and supporting families impacted by cancer.
“We just wanted to raise awareness,” Castrejon said.
They’re part of the school’s Health Sciences Academy, a partnership between Monroe High and Atrium Health.
It’s preparing students for healthcare careers with special courses and clinical experiences. Part of that is understanding their larger role in the community which is why they’re planning this weekend’s walk.
“Health care is not just taking care of the patients within the walls,” Denise White, with Atrium Health, said. “It’s about taking care of our community too.”
White says their students took that to heart, and for some like Castrejon, this walk is personal.
“Two of my mom’s closest friends, both had breast cancer, and I, at the time, I didn’t really understand what cancer was, but I did see how it affected other people,” she said. “So my mom, she was seriously distraught by it, and I think I had realized that I wanted to help people.”
It’s part of the reason why these students are planning to become nurses, and this cancer walk is a start to their service.
“We kind of wanted to come together as a community, as the students, and give back to our community,” Izoteco said.
Money raised will go to Tickled Pink, an Atrium Health program with a focus on breast cancer that provides services for women in Union and surrounding counties.
The cancer walk kicks off at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Monroe High. There will also be food trucks, activities, and entertainment.
If there is heavy rain, the event will be moved into the Monroe High gym area, and it will continue as scheduled inside.
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