Justin Timberlake’s Can’t Stop the Feeling booming from a speaker, signs flashing, cash exchanging hands for a great cause, and refreshing paletas being eaten on a sunny Friday afternoon. After a grueling week of being bombarded by tests and assessments, this was exactly the feel-good moment we needed to lift our spirits. This was not only the first time Medical Club hosted a community event, but to our knowledge, it was the first time since pre-COVID times that a high-school club has fundraised.
We did not know what to expect, but we collectively spent weeks putting our all into trying to make this fundraiser as successful as possible because our cause was truly special. September is pediatric cancer awareness month, and we wanted to support Alex’s Lemonade Stand, a nonprofit funding pediatric cancer research nationwide. This research is desperately needed because pediatric cancer is drastically underfunded due to its relative rarity compared to other cancers.
This effort, which we called “Paletas Against Pediatric Cancer,” was spearheaded by the Medical Club, but we could not have done it without the help of many others. One of our favorite moments was the day before the sale when a group of seniors who were not part of the Medical Club crammed into the College Corner and, to the tune of some serious party bangers, joined our effort to make posters with pediatric cancer facts. We then hung those posters on the fence around Keystone to raise awareness as families dropped or picked-up their kids. We also had incredible support from Ms. Peters, Mr. Spedding, Ms. Matthews, Mr. Lupe, Ms. Obregon, and especially Ms. Villafranca.
Finally, Friday, September 29th arrived—the day of the paleta sale. Our online donation page was live, younger students were buzzing with excitement, and it was the perfect, sunny day to cool off with a delicious paleta after school. Medical Club volunteers were pumped up and ready to sell as many paletas as possible. Nandini’s feel-good song playlist sent out good vibes, and the kids and parents came pouring in to buy paletas and donate to support pediatric cancer research. It was certainly chaotic, but it was a fun kind of chaos. Freshman bolted up and down the carpool line, advertising the sale with signs and delivering paletas. Anabelle was the greatest sign spinner ever (period). Evan sprinted (and when we say sprinted, we mean sprinted) from the cafeteria to our ice-chests at the front of school to replenish our fast-selling and fast-melting paletas. Shashi and Sofia kept miraculously calm under the pressure as they managed the cash flowing in from all directions. During the Stone Soul break that night, some more volunteers helped sell even more paletas.
It was incredibly fun in the moment. At the end of it, we were also incredibly proud of what we had done. Everyone, shining with sweat after working under the beaming sun, had a big smile on their face. We celebrated because of our great teamwork and because we were overcome with joy that we raised money and hope for children and families battling cancer.
The following Monday during lunch, we counted the cash from our paleta sale, and we squealed with excitement when we added it all up. Including online donations, cash donations, and money made by selling paletas, Medical Club raised more than $1,600, far exceeding our goal of $500.
We are extremely grateful to the Keystone community for supporting Medical Club’s efforts and contributing to a brighter future for children with cancer and survivors. We also could not be prouder of Medical Club members for being the most enthusiastic and excited volunteers to put this together. GOOOOO MEDICAL CLUB!
