ROSEBORO — With pink shirts, the Little Leopards of Roseboro Elementary School showed a lot of love to cancer survivors on Valentine’s Day.
Eight members of the community walked into the gymnasium as students cheered and clapped with excitement. The Thursday celebration was the conclusion of RES’s “Lil Leopards Fighting for a Cure.”
Together, they raised more than $1,000 with funds going to the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. The effort was inspired by the “Play4Kay,” a grassroots fundraising initiative of the organization, named after a woman’s basketball coach from North Carolina State University who died battling breast cancer.
“She was huge on the fight for the cure,” Principal Tonya Colwell said.
Students from RES raised money for about two weeks an wore shirts with pink with a lavender ribbon in the center which represents all types of cancers. Money was also raised by students purchasing bracelets and ribbons in honor of family member or friend. The fun also included basketball games with staff members playing against the students. Awareness about the effort was also promoted about trough the hashtag #InThisFightSizeDoesNotMatter.
“We wanted to make our little one aware of what’s going on,” Colwell said. “They’re not too young to help. With them coming in with their coins and dollars to participate in the different things they have going on showed that they can make a difference.”
Survivors such as Sharon Warren also appreciated the Leopards efforts. She overcame a battle with stomach cancer through faith in God. Ralph Washington, a prostate cancer survivor, recently returned back to work as RES.
“I went through surgery and this school was my biggest supporter from the first day I went to surgery, all the way through my recovery,” Washington said.
Ellean M. Williamson is a 20-year survivor and was employed with the Department of Social Services when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. After retiring, Williamson received a lot of support from her peers and expressed how she was strong during the battle.
“When I look at each one of these students, they encourage my heart,” Williamson said while praising Colwell for leading the effort.
Her sister, Brenda J. Williams, was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in the early 1990s.
“They told me that I would not speak above a whisper,” Williams said while talking loudly about overcoming. “To see these children, it touches my heart and to receive the support from miss Colwell. She’s an excellent principal.”
Rhonda Strickland, survivor of thyroid cancer; Barbara Culbreth, a breast cancer survivor; and Juliet Graham, pancreatic cancer survivor also appreciated the loud cheers from students.
“It gives you joy, it makes you feel good, and it helps you to keep fighting and to keep pushing,” Graham said.
