Alyssa Rooks
Co-Editor In Chief
Mario Karatasios
Staff Reporter

The newly formed club, High Schools Against Cancer (HSAC), sponsored the “Taste of South” event in an effort to fundraise for the American Cancer Society (ACS), Friday, May 22.

Further fundraising will take place at the club’s May 29 event, Relay for Life. This is the tenth annual Relay for Life event being held at GBS, and the 25th relay ever.

“Our big goal for HSAC is to get just a lot of involvement for Relay for Life,” sophomore Hallie Herrmann, president and founder of HSAC, said.

“We threw Taste of South as a way for everyone to come together and to raise money for people who [are on] Relay for Life teams,” Herrmann said.

During Relay for Life, students will be taking shifts as they walk around the track for 12 straight hours. Teams and clubs have made groups to participate in the walk, and the groups compete to raise the most money.

“I feel like with HSAC we’ve just really become a lot more involved– a lot more students care more about the event,” HSAC publicity director sophomore Erin Brennan said.

According to Herrmann, HSAC began planning the outdoor food festival in late April. Each Relay for Life team sold various food items while GBS student musicians played live music from the recently built gazebo in the courtyard.

As a member of the Project Earth Relay for Life team, junior Robby Regalbuto said, “I was able to get my mom to make some fiesta bites…and fortunately they sold pretty well… As far as we could tell we had a very good income, because we had a little container and by the end of the night it was completely filled.”

The Friday night event raised over $888.50, which will go back to the student-run teams who have been raising money for Relay for Life. According the ACS website, this money will go to cancer research, education, advocacy in government and service programs for cancer patients and their families.

“I absolutely love this organization,” Herrmann said. “It has opened so many positive opportunities and experiences in my life and I just hope that I could allow other students to feel the same passion and joy I get out of raising money for this tremendous cause.”

Brennan said that Herrmann’s passion for the cause is clear through her hard work for ACS and getting HSAC off the ground after it’s creation in March.

“It feels great to see Hallie, and everyone in the club, put in so much work to get the event together,” Brennan said. “You know, at South, we all kind of have our different things, but when everyone can come together for one thing it is really great.”

Helping the club organize its biggest event to-date were student activity director, Dr. James Shellard, and co-sponsors for the club, science teacher Deborah Stein and Spanish teacher Christina Palella.

Although South has played a major role in continuing the relay, Stein stresses that despite its location, Relay for Life is not just for South students.

“People from other schools from within the community are all encouraged and welcome to come to this event, ” Stein said.

The Opening Ceremony for Relay for Life will be held at 6 p.m. Friday, May 29, followed by the Survivor Lap, which is a celebration of life for attending cancer survivors. It will end at 6 a.m. the following morning.

“Everyone should get involved in a team next year– it’s a lot of fun,” Brennan said.

“It’s not that huge of a commitment but you’re helping a lot of people. My favorite part is knowing that we’re making a difference.”