Members at P373R, a District 75 program on Staten Island, wear pink to raise awareness about breast cancer.
In the month of October, pink isn't just another color — it's a symbol of awareness of breast cancer, which 1 in 8 women will develop in their lifetime.
On Oct. 15, UFT members in schools across the city donned pink shirts, hats, pants and shoes — and sometimes all of the above — to celebrate survivors, pay tribute to loved ones who have died from the disease and raise awareness about the importance of screening and early detection.
Members at PS 205 in Brooklyn are determined to “knock out“ breast cancer.
For members at PS 100 in the Bronx, wearing pink is a way of showing colleagues who are fighting breast cancer that they can lean on co-workers for support. "We work every day with our colleagues — we want them to know that they're not alone," said Ashley Matthews, the school's chapter leader.
This year PS 100 wore pink on Oct. 15 and participated in the UFT's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk in the Bronx in honor of two colleagues, Lisa Rikala and Jaclyn Rogewitz, who are both breast cancer survivors.
Elkis Felice, the chapter leader at PS 28 in Manhattan, views the UFT's annual tradition as not only supporting educators but also teaching students to be caring and empathetic. "Before we're teachers or paras, we're human," she said. "And when we care for each other at that level, that trickles down to being better teachers and making a bigger impact for your students."
Chapter Leader Ashley Matthews (left) of PS 100 in the Bronx and fellow members Lisa Rikala, Danielle Anderson, Nichelle Cardona and Rachael Ortiz show solidarity.
At PS 97 in Queens, the commitment to fundraise for breast cancer research and honor survivors is shared by the entire school community. Teacher Stacie Stuart heads up the fundraising efforts for Making Strides Against Breast Cancer and then, starting at 9 a.m. on Oct. 15, students, educators and families walked around the block as a gesture of solidarity with community members battling cancer.
Art teacher Bob Reaven-Edlen of PS 28 in Manhattan takes part in his school’s breast cancer awareness day in a true sign of support for the cause.
This year, said PS 97 Chapter Leader Lisa Del Valle, UFT members at the school understood — though this was not publicized to the broader community — that they were walking in honor of their colleague Stephanie Villaronga, who finished her chemotherapy treatment on Oct. 14.
Villaronga credited her ability to work during cancer treatment to her colleagues' steadfast support. "Everyone had a hand in making sure that I could come to work," she said. "I tell them, 'We did this.'"
