North Bay students raise $61K for local breast cancer research and treatment

Anyone in West Ferris or by the Lake Nipissing waterfront Thursday morning might have noticed students marching for cancer research.

Anyone driving in North Bay’s West Ferris neighbourhood or by the Lake Nipissing waterfront Thursday morning might have noticed hundreds of students dressed in the rainbow marching for cancer research.

Students from West Ferris Secondary School were pounding the pavement to find a cure for cancer, raising an impressive $61,000 in the process.

“I’m really proud of our school for raising so much money,” said Grade 10 student Nicola Phillips.

Phillips, who raised more than $2,100 on her own, was marching in honour of a family friend affected by cancer.

“Last year, a family friend got diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer,” she said.

“It feels really good because she is in remission now.”

About 1,000 students and staff left their classrooms for the hour-long march to the Kiwanis Bandshell.

The march hits home and inspires breast cancer survivor Amanda Etches, who was diagnosed more than two years ago.

“There were many surgeries, chemotherapy, radiation and it’s been one just a little over one year with no treatments, no radiation, no chemotherapy,” Etches said.

“There are always follow-up things, of course.”

About a month ago, the students began door-to-door canvassing in the neighbourhoods. The $61,000 set a new school record for a single year.

“I think it’s great. I think we should keep doing it,” said Grade 10 student Josh Saucier.

Saucier challenged other high schools in North Bay to start their own school tradition in a friendly competition for a good cause.

Since its inception, more than $500,0000 has been raised for research and treatment.

All donations go directly to the North Bay Regional Health Centre.

This year, the money is being set aside to purchase a $50,000 state-of-the-art Vacuum Assisted Breast Biopsy machine for mammography.

It’s a minimally invasive, image-guided outpatient procedure used to examine suspicious breast abnormalities. The machine is used to remove small tissue samples or entire small, benign breast lesions using a probe.

Dr. Jeffrey Hodge, the hospital’s chief of radiology, said the machine is more accurate than traditional core needle biopsies and results in minimal scarring with no stitches.

“It’s allowing people to find out those answers sooner and to get the treatment started. That’s the biggest thing with cancer,” Hodge said.

“This is saving lives directly in our community. It’s allowing people to get the cancer care they need close to home.”

The event started 31 years ago, when a former student who had cancer began walking around the school’s outdoor track to raise money.

“So many kids have been touched by cancer. It’s like it’s a combination of all those things together. I think it just it keeps getting better year after year,” West Ferris teacher Mark Robertson said.

Donations can still be made online.