Every year, the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) club promotes the breast cancer walk that is held at FCHS during the month of October, which is National Breast Cancer Awareness month. The walk honors people who have or have had family members who have battled breast cancer. This year’s walk will be held on Oct. 28 at the track during 4th block.

In the early 1990s, a woman named Charlotte Haley created the peach ribbons that became associated with breast cancer awareness. At that time, only 5% of the National Cancer Institute’s budget went towards research for breast cancer. News sources, including Self Magazine, heard about Haley’s ribbons and asked if they could use her ribbons in their “Breast Cancer Awareness” issue. Through a series of events, the ribbon color was changed to the light pink that people recognize today at breast cancer awareness events during October.

FCHS joined the breast cancer awareness trend in 2009 when the FBLA club began sponsoring the annual Breast Cancer Awareness Walk each October.

“It’s really fun to do the Breast Cancer Walk. I love putting it on… I put on all of the fundraiser side of FBLA, so we’re doing candy raffles and fifty-fifty raffles. It’s really fun to answer people’s questions about what we’re doing and to organize people into different groups [and] to see that it is accomplished,” said senior and FBLA member Jadyn Woolstenhulme.

The FBLA club members are promoting the event and selling tickets at lunches for $2 each through Friday, Oct. 24. When the walk begins on Oct. 28, they will sell food and drinks during the event, while Culinary will be selling lemonade, sweet tea, salted and cinnamon pretzels, snow cones, and cotton candy.

“I’m excited to work the event this year by making snow cones,” said senior and Culinary student Ladashia Tinsley.

Money raised from ticket sales will go to the Alyssa House at UVA and the Virginia Breast Cancer Fund, while money raised from food sold by Culinary will go to support programs of the FCHS Culinary classes.

Buying a ticket to attend the event allows many students to take a break from schoolwork for a block. With SOLs this week and finals around the corner, the event gives students a chance to de-stress while supporting a good cause.

“I like the event because I get the chance to walk around with my friends,” said senior Mariah Quinn.