FeedsRace for a cure
Area students join fight against cancer, promote study
After working in the community to collect food and clothing for the needy and assisting local service clubs with their charity drives, it didn’t take the Plymouth-Canton Key Club members long to decide on their next community service project.
The Key Club, a group around 40 service oriented students from Plymouth, Canton and Salem high schools will be among dozens of other Plymouth-Canton clubs working together to defeat cancer during the 2008 Canton Relay for Life on May 17-18.
Next weekend’s event will be the first time the Key Club members have participated in the fundraising event, said club advisor and Salem High teacher Lesnie Orsborn.
“The kids decided it would be a worthwhile thing to do. It’s a perfect opportunity to get involved with something for the community,” said Orsborn. The members of the team will perform a myriad of duties from actually participating in the race to raising funds by selling items in their tent.
While the Key Club members will make their first appearance at the Canton Relay, Jamie Chapman of the American Cancer Society (ACS) said the school district has been an “integral” part of the event.
“I’ve been with the ACS for almost seven and a half years and students from (The Plymouth-Canton Schools) have always been there,” she said. Some of the other school groups involved are the Asian Pacific American Club, National Honor Society, Indian American Student Association, and Plymouth Student Council. In addition, several middle and elementary schools in the district are working to raise awareness of the event.
Jay Obsiniak, a science teacher at Salem High School who also is in charge of the Robotics Club, said students will use their skill and abilities in creating robots to help raise funds to fight cancer.
Obsiniak said his students would offer rides on one of their larger mobile robots with the proceeds going to the ACS. They will also sale miniature robots to raise proceeds.
“(The ACS) needs money for cancer research. We’re glad we can help.”
The ACS is asking for volunteers to participate in a study to identify lifestyle, environment and genetic contributors to the disease and ways to eradicate them.
Participants must be willing to give a blood sample, be measured and make a long-term commitment to the study. Study participants must be between 30 and 65 years of age.
Both the survey and relay will take place at Heritage Park in Canton Township. For more information, contact the ACS at 1-888-604-5888.
