Every fall, Teen Leadership and StuCo rally the school and community to raise money for breast cancer research and share awareness through Pink Fest and its associated events. Tens of thousands of dollars have been raised during activities for the cause, but we think Legacy and the community are ready for the next stage. If the focus for fundraising were expanded, even across local and national levels, to include support and awareness of other cancers, a wider audience could be reached and more money could be raised.

Events such as the 3-Day and Pink Fest presenting a focus solely on breast cancer limit the potential of money raised for research. Although the profits from Pink Fest benefit Moncrief Cancer Institute, which provides care and research on all types of cancer, the parochial “pink” points otherwise. The wider the affected audience, the more room for a larger support base, which could entice more people into donating time or money to the cause.

It’s trendy to be pink and October is breast cancer awareness month, but getting away from only the  “breast cancer color” could bring in more support for the cause.

We can’t go without applauding how great Pink Fest organizers do. Coordinating the separate events and incentivizing teachers and the community to get involved require hard work, dedication and great ideas. With T-shirts, a comedy show, restaurant nights and more, Pink Fest’s methods for raising money and awareness are comprehensive and effective. Participants and contributors raised nearly $50,000 this year—and in only a matter of days. Legacy clearly sets the standard for cancer awareness programs in the area, as shown by the abundance of Pink Fest shirts seen throughout the community. Legacy has become a powerhouse in fundraising so much that other schools in the metroplex are emulating our methods. We’ve set the standard, and we should raise it.

Pink Fest organizers should consider incorporating more colors into the program—which might necessitate a name change to something like “Legacy for a Cure”—in order to broaden its scopes and set the standard even higher. This wouldn’t remove pink from the pallet, but would add other colors as well as hopefully increasing participation and the amount of money raised.