Rise Against Cancer, a recently founded club, has had a successful year so far here at RMHS.
Sophomore Savanna Bankovich, along with the help of her peers and advisor Guidance Department Head Mrs. Williams recently started Rise Against Cancer, a club devoted to Cancer Awareness, specifically: Metastatic Breast Cancer [MBC] . Metastatic Breast Cancer is a kind of stage 4 cancer that has metastasized, meaning it has spread to different parts of the body. It typically starts as breast cancer, which is why it typically falls under the category of breast cancer. MBC is one of the leading causes of cancer related deaths in Women under the age of 50. Unfortunately, research in this specific type of cancer is one of the least funded. In the short few months this club has been up and running, it has raised over a thousand dollars for MBC research. Rise Against Cancer continues to grow in size as well as ideas on more ways to reach their goals.
Bankovich founded the club to represent her mother Julie A. Bankovich, who devastatingly passed away a few years ago. Julie Bankovich fought incredibly hard. A quote from Bankovich’s father said, “Julie fought for her daughter in hopes to gain as many days as she could, she never gave up.” Her name continues to be remembered and honored by loved ones. Rise Against Cancer was started in late September, but fundraisers did not begin until October. During the October fundraiser, the Rise Against Cancer club raised around over $1,500. All proceeds went to the Julie A. Bankovich Foundation; a foundation started in honor of Savanna’s mother. According to Bankovich, “My mom’s foundation helps mothers with Stage 4 Breast Cancer do fun things with their families.” The money goes to things like local travel, concerts, sporting events, dining out, and professional photography photoshoots for families going through the process of fighting MBC in hopes to create joyful and fun memories.
The October fundraiser is not the last thing Bankovich and her club had in store. “We’re going to do something in the month of December to donate things to Cancer patients in hospitals, we are going to make baskets, and with the money from our first fundraiser we are able to do that,” Bankovich explained. Bankovich plans to keep fundraising and coming up with more ideas on how to support this incredibly important cause.
Bankovich concluded the interview by explaining how this club started off as a school specific club, but she realized that she can build it and bring it to more places. Her final note was: “It’s good for anyone who needs it, in the sense of like who wants to talk about how they struggle with cancer impacting their lives, whether they go through it or whether a loved one has it.”
Keep an eye out for more information on Rise Against Cancer as the club plans to continue to grow not just in size, but in support for the fight against cancer.
