Oxford High School is having its second annual Breast Cancer Awareness Walk and Fundraiser on Friday, Oct. 14 at 7:30 a.m.
“The first year, I just wanted to get students involved and I thought this year, why not make it a small fundraiser and get students more involved and teachers as well?  This is a great cause and the students and teachers have really embraced this event,” said Rose Hickey, whose mother is a breast cancer survivor.
The Breast Cancer Awareness Walk was started by Hickey last year to inform students about breast cancer.  She wanted to provide information to students on the importance of early detection and that anyone can be affected by Breast cancer and that early detection is the key for fighting any cancers.  A person with breast cancer, if found early, has a 99.9 % survival rate.
Everyone is invited to walk around the school. The walk will last until 8:00 a.m. and a light breakfast and prizes will be provided for people participating.
“Part of our vision of OHS Cares is the way that we give back to our community,” stated Principal Bradley Roberson, “so anytime that we can bring awareness to those situations and give back to those people is something that we need to do to support our Oxford community.”
Junior Jessica Cooper had this to say about when her mother had cancer this past year, “I was shocked when my mom told me she was diagnosed with breast cancer last year. She told me over the phone that she had to get chemotherapy right before I went to band practice one day. I cried the entire time because I was so scared. I had no idea what was going to happen next. She picked me up early and told me that we would get through this and that everything would be okay.”

“We do have a lot of students and families within our school that have been effected by breast cancer,” Roberson continued.
“Treatments were awful for her. She would come home and feel so sick that all she could do was lay down and sleep off the pain. It was really scary when she had her surgery. I spent a few school nights sitting at the hospital by her side. Recovery was hard, but she got through it. She’s the strongest person I know,” Cooper said.
“I just think its important to get students involved in such a cause so that they can be advocates to others who have been affected by it,” said Hickey.
Cooper continued, “Sometimes, I couldn’t get my schoolwork done because of everything that was going on. I was so frustrated because my life was unstable. I wanted someone to talk to who understood what I was going through, but I didn’t have that.”
There will be short sleeve pink Comfort Color Tee shirts for the walk. The shirts are $18, cash only. If you would like a shirt form, you can pick up a shirt form in the library. All the proceeds go toward the fundraiser.