Bromley East Charter School seventh-graders Dylan Chavez and Aldon Lightfoot said they took notice when NFL players began wearing pink gear in honor of breast cancer awareness month.
    The two friends began thinking about what they, could do to help the cause.
    “This month is breast cancer awareness month,” Aldon said. “We came up with this idea because of all of the football players wearing pink.”

    Dylan and Aldon devised a plan for a fundraiser at their school, where students and staff could wear pink for the day for $1. Bromley East students are typically required to wear uniforms. The fundraiser was approved by their principal, and around 700 of the school’s 800-plus students wore pink Thursday in support of the cause. They raised more than $800 to be donated to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation.
    “It’s a quick way to help beat cancer,” Aldon said.
     “This is just an extra bump to help cure it,” Dylan said.
    The boys couldn’t believe the overwhelming response from their peers and teachers. When Aldon came to school Thursday, his mom noticed that several of the students were wearing pink. He said he was thrilled to walk inside the school to find the majority of the school’s students and staff clad in pink. He was even more excited to learn their effort would make it on the local TV news.
    Encouraged by the event’s success, Dylan and Aldon are excited about expanding the event next year and hope that it will continue to grow for many years to come.
    “We would like to do it again because it worked out so well,” Dylan said.
    “It would be fun to look back down the road and say, ‘Wow, that’s what me and Dylan did,’” Aldon said. “I hope this is going to be a continuing thing for Bromley East Charter School. We would like to spread it to other schools: Brighton High, OTMS, Vikan.”
    “We would definitely like to bring it to other schools next year,” Dylan added.
    Aldon said a friend of his family, who he calls Aunt Susan, beat breast cancer and he wanted to support more people like her.
    “I’m just proud to help those people,” Aldon said. “If I had cancer it would be overwhelming, especially if I had kids and was overconsumed with debt too. If I had somebody to help me that would change my life.”
     Dylan and Aldon said they hope their effort inspires others to think about what they can do to help in their community.
    “Anybody out there that wants to help for a good cause, go out and start it on your own,” Aldon said. “People’s lives can be changed. Go out and make a change.”