A sea of pink flooded downtown San Jose as over 2,000 walkers participated in the 5K awareness walk, Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. Amongst the sea was SCHS’s FHA HERO Club, which managed to fundraise more than $1,200.

As a 15-year cancer survivor herself, club adviser Kathy Hopp is “extremely proud” of the FHA HERO club for raising so much money.

“We were talking about community service ideas for this year, and the idea of a Breast Cancer Walk popped up. To have them mention this idea without knowing that I was a survivor was really moving for me,” Hopp said.

Senior Boonevie Valentino, who pitched the idea of a breast cancer walk for a fundraiser, said she didn’t think it would be so successful. Initially, the club, which promotes leadership, home economics careers, and community service, planned on raising approximately $500; however, it ended up raising $1,215 during the week of Halloween. Since they raised over $1,000, the cancer walk’s organizers named FHA HERO a blue ribbon team.

In addition to the donations from club members and their families and friends, bystanders also contributed money to the cause during the Breast Cancer walk. At SCHS, FHA HERO placed boxes labelled “Coins for Cancer” in classrooms so students could donate their change.

Junior Jarred Diaz said that people donated some money, cheered for them, and even gave them candy for Halloween at the walk.

FHA HERO president, Jennifer Ho, believes that the fundraiser could have been even more successful if there was more time.
“This is the first year FHA has done so much. I think it’s really nice we did something for Mrs. Hopp,” Ho said.