BY Mandy Carter
Staff Writer
McALESTER —
It’s a win-win situation.
High schools all over the state, including McAlester High School, have designated Sept. 13-17 as Win-Win Week, taking on the battle to fight cancer.
According to the website at the core of the state-wide event, www.okstudentscare.org, and McAlester High School varsity cheer coach Ashlee Shumway, student athletes, student council members, cheerleaders, marching band members and other student leaders are turning athletic events into ways to bring in money to support Oklahomans fighting cancer in a project created by Kim Henry, wife of Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry. Kim Henry approached the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association with the idea of promoting cancer awareness and fundraising through student athletic events.
“They approached us as cheer coaches so we could incorporate it into Spirit Week,” Shumway said. “It’s a way to increase participation. Each of the athletic teams are doing something different, and everybody – all the coaches, teachers, staff, especially Mr. (Tom) Condict, our superintendent, are on board and really supportive. Our goal is to promote school spirit and raise funding.”
OSSAA will present a State Champion trophy to the school showing the most involvement, Shumway said, adding that she feels McAlester has an excellent shot at bringing it home.
“We definitely have an advantage in McAlester,” she said. “We have such a closely-knit community. We can show Oklahoma what a great fan base we have.”
Win-Win Week will culminate at the home football game next Friday, and Shumway said she and Rachael Bernardi, assistant cheer coach who’s been working right alongside of Shumway through the project organization, are hoping for a sea of pink.
“Coach Pratt has ordered pink tape for the football boys, and all our staff will be wearing pink,” she said. “We’re selling pink T-shirts, and the idea is to get everyone in the stands wearing pink.”
She added that the McAlester cheer and pom squads will be wearing pink shoe strings, hairbows, face tattoos, pink bloomers and pink socks.
Student athletes are involving the community in much more than just the fundraising, Shumway added.
“The football team will have honorary captains, men who are cancer survivors, walking out with them, and we are also going to have honorary cheerleaders, women who are cancer survivors,” she explained.
As the fundraising efforts push through the week, so will events to encourage awareness.
“There will be a cancer survivor wall at Puterbaugh, Parker and MHS,” Shumway added, “ and cancer statistics will be read in morning announcements each day.”
On game day, locker rooms will be decorated in the “Pinkout” theme with pink crepe paper and balloons, and pink cups will promote spirit in the chain link fencing near Hook Eales Stadium.
In the meantime, the athletes will be selling the pink T-shirts to fans attending athletic events all week, pink buckets will be passed through the stands at each game that week and teachers will pay $5 for the privilege of wearing jeans to work.
“The best part is that all the proceeds go to Oklahomans with cancer,” Shumway said. “They are raising money for something other than their teams, and they are all really excited.
“When we first approached the cheerleaders with the idea, I asked them if any of them knew anyone or had anyone in their families that had cancer,” she recalled. “I have 23 girls, and all of them raised their hands. It touches everyone in one way or another. This is a great way to teach the kids about philanthropy and give them an opportunity to help.”
For more information on Win-Win Week, log on to www.okstudentscare.org.
