Laval students showing solidarity with those affected by breast cancer

The Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board teamed up with Pink in the City, a non-profit grassroots charity organization, to host its annual “Spring Raise Craze,” to help support metastatic breast cancer research at the MUHC.

Students and one staff member at Jules Verne Elementary School in Laval shaved or cut their hair to show solidarity with those affected by breast cancer.

“Pink in the City started with one shave, and that was from my youngest, Lawrence Vourtzoumis, who wanted to shave his head for breast cancer in 2006,” said Denise Vourtzoumis, president of Pink in the City.

Since the first shave, the initiative grew bigger from there.

“It’s just kind of grown, and I work a lot in student leadership, so our student leadership program said, ‘What if we do it again, but what if we do it at all our schools, and we invite everybody in to make a difference, to learn about breast cancer, to meet survivors, and to have that opportunity to help?'” said spiritual and community involvement animator Daniel Johnson.

After two breast cancer survivors visited the students at Jules Verne, students and staff were inspired to take part in the initiative as well.

“Today we have the honour and the pleasure of having Pink in the City here, we’re fundraising, we have a teacher and seven students making a difference today by cutting and shaving their heads,” said Melissa Rioux, principal at Jules Verne Elementary School.

Among the volunteers is nine-year-old Nico Marandola, a student Jules Verne, whose great aunt is a cancer survivor.

“I will be shaving my head to raise money for cancer,” he said.

 “I decided to do this to support the people with cancer and help the doctors working on finding a cure,” he added.

Resource teacher Lisa Morello also took part in the event, donating and cutting eight inches of her hair. Ten years ago, she found out she had the breast cancer gene 2 (BRCA2), which makes her more at risk of developing breast cancer.

“I wanted the students here today to learn that you need to be proactive about your health, and even though that we are young and at a young age, that you can always have a change, you can always make a change, and that change can be scary, but it can be beautiful as well,” she said.

Every year, thousands of donations are collected for the MUHC Foundation’s Breast Clinic Wellness Program.

The fundraising goal in 2024 is to collect $55,000, with each school in the board having its own separate goal. This year, nine schools are participating.

Jules Verne Elementary hoped to raise $8,000, a goal they’ve not only met, but surpassed.

“We have a beautiful community here, anything is possible. We’re very, very grateful for all these beautiful donations,” said Rioux.

The MUHC has raised over $42,000 so far.

“I have to say it’s really emotional for me. Seeing the movement that has been created just from that one shave and what a community can really do when everyone comes together,” said Vourtzoumis.

The fundraiser also helps to teach everyone an important message.

“Power isn’t just in your body; it’s in your head, it’s in your heart, it’s in your hands. It’s what you do with it. You are a person of consequence. You just have to choose what kind of consequence you want to be. And a lot of people say students won’t do it, but every year, every day, we see them rise to the challenge. As long as we give it to them, they’ll rise to it, and it’s pretty humbling,” said Johnson.