DEWITT — St. Joseph Catholic School’s student council recently asked Principal Sharon Roling to have a pink day. Council members wanted to donate 25 cents for every student, teacher and staff member who wore pink. Around the same time, information came out about a DeWitt event. On Oct. 17, businesses were asked to join in a competition to “Wear Pink for the Cure” to help raise awareness of breast cancer. The school and 23 DeWitt businesses responded to this invitation.
At an all-school Mass, the school read a petition for those affected by cancer. For the judging portion of the competition, students gathered in the gym to form a ribbon and said prayers for those affected by cancer. St. Joe’s held in special honor teachers Mary Mosier and Loretta Pennock, who are cancer survivors. The school announced a pledge to the DeWitt Community Hospital Foundation for $53.75. There was 100 percent participation from students and staff.
“The judges and teachers were touched emotionally by our prayers,” Roling said. “We could see them wiping their eyes. A few hours later, I received a phone call that we won first place. Mind you, the businesses went all out. Necker’s served pink ice cream; the local John Deere implement store put pink ribbons on all tractors, painted their windows pink and lined the driveway with pink pumpkins. The judges were impressed by our students, the prayers and the quarters that led to a donation.”
An awards assembly was scheduled for Oct. 23, when the school would receive a trophy. “As you can tell, we are quite excited about our win. It was because we could pray, something that our competitors could not do,” Roling said.
