Each year, roughly 2 million people are diagnosed with cancer in the U.S., according to the National Cancer Institute. In every one of those diagnoses, a family struggles and faces life-altering challenges. Over the years, many communities have stepped up to join the fight against cancer. Redwood, in particular, has stepped up with the lead of junior Marcela Rodriguez Mendez, who started the Climb Over Cancer club.

Mendez’s motivations for starting the club came from her personal experiences with cancer and the immense impact it had on her life growing up.

“When I was in fourth grade, my mom passed away from ovarian cancer. I felt helpless becauseI couldn’t do anything at the time since I was so young. Now that I’m able to start [Climb Over Cancer], I feel that I’m actively working towards a cause,” Mendez said.

Mendez’s intention was to raise awareness about cancer because of the number of people who suffer from it, even in our own community. She created a goal of fundraising $1500 to $3000 during the school year through different events such as bake sales. All of the proceeds will then be donated to cancer charities such as the Cancer Research Institute and St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. The club meets weekly to discuss plans to achieve these goals.

Junior Amy Flores, who serves as vice president of the club, shared her insight as to how a typical meeting goes.

“We start with an introduction about our plan for the day, and then we have icebreakers to get everyone participating and talking to each other. We will then introduce our next event and brainstorm ideas for it,” Flores said.

Club members have been planning a fundraiser for later this month. With October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Mendez thought that it would be a great time to hold an event specific to breast cancer, with all proceeds going to breast cancer organizations.

While the club has only been running for a little over a month now, Mendez expressed that it has had a significant impact on her life.

“Seeing people come and support my club means a lot to me because, in a way, it’s supporting what happened to me and my mom. It’s great that I can fundraise for a cause that affected my life a lot,” Mendez said.

Through the club, Flores has also found a deeper sense of connection to the community.

“For me, it’s a good way to be more involved not only with the school, but also with my classmates and people from other grades. We all have this one thing in common that we’re trying to help people with cancer and do more activities related to fighting against it,” Flores said.

Mendez said that getting people to regularly attend meetings and commit to the activities has been a recent challenge. With only about 12 consistent members, Mendez and Flores encourage people to join to further spread awareness.

“It’s important for others to join our club because it gives them a new perspective. They can realize the impact cancer has on people around them, which may be something that they weren’t aware of before,” Mendez said.

As the Climb Over Cancer club continues to grow, Flores and Mendez remain hopeful that more students will get involved, not only to meet their fundraising goals but to build a strong community that is committed to supporting those who are affected by cancer.

The club meetings are held every Wednesday during lunch in room 287 and are open to anyone interested in joining.