EWSD — On Saturday, Feb. 18 members of the Essex girls high school Varsity and JV basketball teams attended the UVM Women’s Basketball Rally Against Cancer game where they presented a check for $4,224 to the University of Vermont Cancer Center.
February is National Cancer Prevention month and as a part of UVM Athletics Rally Against Cancer campaign, Mascoma Bank will match their donation bringing the total gift to $8,448.
For over 15 years, Essex’s Pink Zone basketball games have brought attention to breast cancer screening, treatment and survivorship. This year, hundreds of donors gave to support breast cancer patients and research through the UVM Cancer Center. Kenena Montague whose husband, Shawn Montague, coaches the Varsity Girls Basketball team was instrumental in organizing this year’s fundraiser.
”This has become such a wonderful community event over the years. We are so thankful for all of the support and participation from our partners, Mt. Mansfield Union High School, Essex Middle School and Albert D. Lawton School,” said Kenena. “Communities coming together for such a worthy cause is extremely gratifying and we are humbled to be able to positively impact those affected by this disease.”
The gift also hit home for Kimberly Laroche whose daughter, Ellie, plays on the EHS JV team and whose mother passed away five years ago after a short but courageous battle with cancer.
Kimberly is the practice supervisor for Hematology/Oncology and Surgical Oncology at the UVM Medical Center, keeping all operations in the outpatient clinic running smoothly. She sees first-hand the impact of breast cancer on patients and caregivers and the critical care they receive close to home at the UVM Cancer Center.
“The amazing support that our community provides by holding these fundraising events has a direct impact on cancer patients,” said Kimberly. “I am immensely proud and humbled by such generosity.”
In addition to the girls basketball players, coaches and volunteers, this year’s Pink Zone would not have been as successful without the support of the cheerleading and dance squads from Mt. Mansfield Union High School, Essex Middle School, Albert D. Lawton Middle School and Essex High School and critical community partners like Mascoma Bank.
"This generosity is inspiring. Mascoma Bank feels very fortunate to partner with such great local communities and the UVM Cancer Center to tackle one of our biggest health care challenges," said Mariah Davis, Community Impact Manager at Mascoma Bank.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Thank you for taking part in our commenting section. We want this platform to be a safe and inclusive community where you can freely share ideas and opinions. Comments that are racist, hateful, sexist or attack others won’t be allowed. Just keep it clean. Do these things or you could be banned:
• Don’t name-call and attack other commenters. If you’d be in hot water for saying it in public, then don’t say it here.
• Don’t spam us.
• Don’t attack our journalists.
Let’s make this a platform that is educational, enjoyable and insightful.
Email questions to bhigdon@orourkemediagroup.com.