Stillwater High School students presented the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation with a check for $8,600 on Friday. The gift will go directly to cancer research at the Oklahoma City-based foundation.
Since naming OMRF as its charitable beneficiary in 2011, Stillwater High School has raised more than $42,000 for research.
“We sincerely appreciate the efforts of the students at Stillwater High School, who continue to blow us away with their generosity and work ethic,” said OMRF Director of Development Kelley McGuire. “OMRF has a strong track record in cancer research, and this gift will help us to continue the fight in labs across our campus.”
Stillwater High students, led jointly by the school’s Family, Career and Community Leaders of America, Leadership Class and Beta Club organizations, raised the money during “Pink Out” week for breast cancer research.
During the week they held a bake sale, a hat day at the school where students could purchase stickers to participate, “Penny Wars” to see who could collect the most pennies in a jar, t-shirts sales, a silent auction and collection buckets at the football game against Deer Creek, among other activities.
“We continue to choose OMRF as our beneficiary because we know they are actively researching ways to treat breast cancer,” said Sydney Bellah, a junior at Stillwater High and FCCLA North III District President.
Breast cancer research at OMRF led to the first genetics-based risk assessment test for breast cancer. Cancer research at OMRF has also to the development of a drug in clinical trials for the treatment of a deadly form of brain cancer. OMRF scientists are currently studying problems in cell division that set the stage for cancer development.
“I am a breast cancer survivor myself and was diagnosed during Pink Out week two years ago,” said Stillwater guidance counselor and Beta Club sponsor Kathi Raun Hromas. “This week is one of celebration for the students who have worked so hard on this and for the great work being done at OMRF.”
