NYSUT members: We pink we can

Year after year, NYSUT is a top donor to the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer events. Altogether, NYSUT teams have raised $20 million to support groundbreaking cancer research, ensure greater access to quality care, influence public policy, and provide critical patient support.

This year, NYSUT’s 172 teams collectively raised nearly $300,000, and they did it through grassroots organizing and a level of ebullience that sometimes belies their relative size.

That is certainly the case when it comes to the York Teachers Association, an 86-member rural local outside Rochester, whose team, YTA U-Knighted in Pink, came out with gusto to support breast cancer survivors.

Julie Steel, a middle school math teacher and secretary for the York TA organized the U-Knighted team after attending a NYSUT conference last summer. There she heard from a Rochester group that shared glowing experiences of the walk.

"I wanted to bring that energy back to our school, so I stepped up as captain for our team,” Steel said. “We’re a small school, K–12 in one building, so I was surprised by how well it went, and how much support we got.”

The York TA was able to raise more than $1,390 for the cause, exceeding its goal.

“The event was a blast — packed with great music, high energy, fun freebies, and wonderful friends,” said Steel. The team was also joined at the walk by a one-year breast cancer survivor who recently joined the staff at the elementary school. “She doesn’t have any family around here, so her friends at York were there to support her and celebrate with her.”

The Medina TA team, led this year by Kristen Armenia, has been participating in Making Strides for decades. During that time, the team has always reached or exceeded its goal.

This year members raised $1,904, almost double the amount they were shooting for. With just 149 in-service members, fundraising is usually all hands-on-deck, and this year was no different. On top of direct online donations, the Medina team sets up cash jars in the district’s three main offices, and the transportation department held its own raffle that netted another $480 for the cause.

“The real key to our success is our personal dedication to this cause. We are a committed group that always pulls together when things matter. I work in a special place with special people,” said Armenia.

“I'm incredibly proud of our MTA and Kristen Armenia for leading our group in exceeding our goal,” said Joseph Byrne, president of the Medina TA. “Knowing that our efforts are making a difference in the lives of countless individuals fighting for a cure is truly inspiring.”

The Naples TA, which is located about an hour outside Rochester, raised $1,240 this year. The tiny local has just 82 in-service members, many of whom have first-hand experience with cancer.

“We have had colleagues, family members, and friends directly impacted by breast cancer and other types of cancer, so when ‘Making Strides’ was presented to us, we jumped on board wanting to support all of the people we care about most,” said Jaime Weller, an English teacher and coordinator for the Naples TA’s Making Strides team. “Having personal connections to those affected by cancer has made this cause so important to us.”

Weller herself discovered that she had breast cancer at her very first mammogram. Today, she is three years into remission. “I feel the need to share the story of my diagnosis to emphasize the importance of scheduling all yearly screenings,” said Weller. “I like to share that I am the ‘poster child’ of why annual mammograms are so important.”

Contrary to expectation, the Making Strides event in Rochester is really a celebration, Weller said. “It helps us to focus on how supportive a community can be. Seeing survivors, caretakers, and those honoring the memories of those lost to this brutal disease, coming together is so moving.”