KVCC

The Student Nurse Association at Kalamazoo Valley donated $930 to the American Cancer Society’s Oct. 19 Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk.

One of the association members designed a logo that was used to create t-shirts for the event and sales of those shirts generated the large donation. Erin Spaulding, Student Nurse Association Vice President, said the shirt is attractive and a hot seller. “We wore the t-shirts around school and everybody wanted one,” Spaulding said.

But even more importantly than the shirt’s popularity is the fact that women are becoming more knowledgeable about the importance of self-exams and mammograms, Spaulding said.

“We still have a lot of people who are affected by breast cancer and unfortunately, we don't have a cure yet,” said Spaulding. “I think now more than ever, we're more aware of the signs and symptoms and what we can do to encourage women to take their health into their own hands by being proactive in preventative care. Women today are encouraged to ask questions, perform self-breast exams, look at family history to see what their risks are, and in many cases are able to get a diagnosis earlier on. I think that simply put, we have more awareness about breast cancer now, and people want to do whatever they can to help defeat it. The pink ribbon is a symbol of hope, fight, and determination to not let a disease define who women are. But more importantly, its a symbol of unity and how people around the world have come together to raise awareness and fight this horrible disease.”

Spaulding said she is proud to be a part of the Student Nurse Association and pleased that the group was able to raise so much to help with the fight against breast cancer. “I'm just thankful I'm able to be a part of the Kalamazoo Valley community and able to witness the generosity and compassion of those who donated money to the American Cancer Society by purchasing shirts. We have them to thank for this amazing contribution to breast cancer research.”