Comets Conquering Cancer: New Solon High Club Supports Relay For Life

A new club led by motivated student leaders is bringing the fight against cancer to the halls of .

Sara Wolk and Samantha Singer, the president and vice president of the Relay for Life Club at the high school, both have family members who have fought cancer. Hannah Hicks is a cancer survivor, and she has shared her story to help raise awareness of cancer and how it can affect anyone.

Wolk, Singer and Hicks say that Relay is a very popular event, but they have noticed that younger people sometimes are unaware of it. So they are holding a variety of events this week at school to raise money, donations and awareness for the disease and ways to fight it.

"We wanted to bring it to the high-school level," Singer said. "Relay is a very fun event. A lot of people know about it, but a lot of people don't."

Here's what the club is doing this week:

• T-Shirt Fundraiser: The club is selling purple T-shirts during lunch periods this week. Wearing the $10 shirt will get you in free to the boys basketball game on Friday and the girls basketball game on Saturday, with a chance to win prizes during the games. Wearing the T-shirt to Chipotle in Solon this weekend will get students a free order of chips and salsa.
• Hope Lodge Donations: The club is collecting donations during first period classes this week for the American Cancer Society's Hope Lodge in Cleveland. The Hope Lodge is a place where cancer patients can live during their treatments free of charge. Singer said the class that collects the most donated items -- basic necessities the lodge needs like napkins, toilet paper, pots and pans will work and basically anything else will work -- will get a free breakfast.
• Special Announcements from Survivors: During third period this week, students at Solon High School who have been affected by cancer are delivering special announcements, telling their fellow students their stories and talking about cancer awareness. Hicks, who was diagnosed with a form of bone cancer in 2009, said she told her story on Monday to kick off the week.

Wolk said the club has plans to help throughout the school year during the lead-up to Relay for Life 2012, which is scheduled for early June.

They hope to do "mini relays" at Solon's middle and elementary schools, where they will talk to the students about cancer, things like sun safety and the Relay for Life.

More Information on Relay? Visit the Solon Relay For Life website for information on the event and how to participate.