Stimson Middle School students stayed after school for a very important cause. With October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, October 28th was the school’s first annual Breast Cancer Charity Walk. This was another event in Stimson’s year of civic engagement to help the community as much as they can. 

“We really want our 8th graders to move on to high school with that great feeling that you get when you see good in the world and you played a part in it,” explained Stimson Assistant Principal Elizabeth Keating. “It's just really focusing on creating a Stimson community that's civically minded and really engaged in community projects.” 

The walk took place at the school starting on the outdoor basketball court.  Wearing lots of pink, including sweatshirts, t-shirts, pink bead necklaces, pink ribbon pins and even pink ribbon stickers on their faces, the walkers followed the school’s cross country running route, which outlines the perimeter of the entire back field. They walked it twice before ending up back at the basketball court to get a snack and water. It was a $5 donation to walk. Also, anyone who was walking for someone special was able to write that loved one’s name on a chain link to be added to a pink chain of love that would be displayed at the school. 

For some students it was a way to get a Certificate of Participation and add to their community service hours. Others were walking for someone special, while other students were just there to show support.

Eighth grade student Sadie Singer doesn’t know anyone with breast cancer but believes it’s important to care. “Because it could be us in the future. So it’s not that we don’t care about it now because we could know people with it or we could just want to help support the people that have it,” said Sadie. 

Her friend and fellow eighth grader, Valentina Valle, agreed and said, “I want to support the people that have had breast cancer. It shows that we care for others.”  

Sophia Amorde, another 8th grade student who was helping collect money, volunteered to help with the Breast Cancer walk because she knew someone who was affected by the disease. She believes it’s important for kids her age to get involved in their community. “They need to see more than just their phone screen. They have to see everything that's happening in their community so they can learn more and so they can change things.”

The Stimson Charity Walk raised $535 which will be donated to Stand Up For Suzanne which helps to support breast cancer research at Cold Spring Harbor Lab. The local non-profit was established in honor of Suzanne Sokolowski-Shea, a Huntington resident who passed away from metastatic breast cancer.

Wearing lots of pink, including sweatshirts, t-shirts, pink bead necklaces, pink ribbon pins and even pink ribbon stickers on their faces, the walkers followed the school’s cross country running route, which outlines the perimeter of the entire back field.

Anyone who was walking for someone special was able to write that loved one’s name on a chain link to be added to a pink chain of love that would be displayed at the school.

For some students it was a way to get a Certificate of Participation and add to their community service hours.