Founder of CFCA Hopes to Change lives

Founder+of+CFCA+Hopes+to+Change+lives

Senior Raleigh Poore created the Crusaders For Cancer Awareness [CFCA] to spread awareness about cancer and other diseases. CFCA meets every third Wednesday’s of the month, morning and afternoon.  They do events and fundraising inside and outside of school. His number one goal for starting CFCA is to spread awareness about cancer and other diseases to everyone. Poore’s experiences with family members and friends having cancer was his inspiration for creating the club.

“It affects every single person on this planet but a lot of people refuse to talk about it. It’s not an essential topic for high school kids — which is understandable because we’re to focus on finishing high school and applying to colleges —  but it affects every age, every gender, every color, every religion; it doesn’t matter where you come from. Infants are now born with cancers, and I find it ridiculous,” Poore said.

Poore is passionate about his club and wants to help educate people about cancer. He targets students who are not sure of how to help. He strives to try to get everyone involved.

“I want CFCA to open doors for people. I want to make CFCA not only promote the awareness of growing cancers, but many diseases as well. One of the only big events in high school that students go wild about are the many fundraisers set up for breast cancer awareness in October. It’s such a large epidemic and there’s so much more to it that I feel high school students are a good resource and have an opportunity to help,” Poore said.

Poore’s inspired by the people who go through the fight everyday. He talks about his friend Jacob, who sadly lost the battle with cancer at age 15. He wants CFCA to introduce new or different pathways to others about careers dealing with cancer. He wants people to have an open mind and be inspired to develop new ways to defeat cancer.

“Cures are being developed everyday and a lot of them do work — but because of the way the system is set up — a lot of people won’t get what they need fast enough. It’s part of why I wanted to start this, so students who want to help, can find opportunities — whether it’s volunteering at a hospital or knowing what careers are out there. I want to really show the students what they could do and I also want to raise money for those who are currently battling it,”  Poore said

CFCA occasionally has guest speakers at their meeting. One guest speaker was Ryan Renaud, and he was the community manager for the American Cancer Society in this area. Renuad helped CFCA with Relay For Life, which in the end resulted them raising $3000 and granting them third place earning bronze status. Primary reason why CFCA has speakers is so their members can be inspired or motivated by someone who either works with cancer in their career field or has dealt with cancer personally.

“They are sometimes people who work in the field, sometimes they are survivors. And I want the survivors to tell their stories, so that our members, can have someone to inspire them. The speakers and what they go through it’s not talked about in high school because no one thinks it would happen to them or it can’t be helped. It can be helped. So the speakers, the professional career people we have, why we try to bring them in is to show students that, who are going into the medical field. What classes they can take, how they can prepare for a career in the medical field. So they can set people on the right path,” Poore said

Starting this club was not that difficult for Poore. CFCA has been an ongoing for about a year now. Even though this club will continue to remain at school, Poore plans to take this organization after he graduates straight into college. He wants to develop it into an non-profit, to give it allow it to touch more people out there.

“The difficulties in starting the club is more just filing the paperwork and getting the paperwork approved. Spiritually, for me, the difficulty in starting this wasn’t really there because it was something that I wanted to do. It was something that I knew, could go far and I felt that there wasn’t really anything  that was going to stop me from making this happen. So I wanted to make sure that it came into existence. The difficulties are minor obstacles and that they have been overcome and it exists now. I just want to make it grow even more,” Poore said

CFCA gets the word out by hosting events and fundraisers. One huge fundraiser/event was last years volley game those proceeds went toward the American Cancer Society. Another event they do is Relay for Life. The event they are doing currently is Kritter’s for Kids. He wants to let people know that Kritters for Kids is a really good cause. He wants to reach out to the senior class the most, because if they are leaving for college, they will most likely leave their old stuffed animal behind. He wants not just them but everyone to help contribute to this cause.

“It’s not about the object it’s about the people who aren’t in high school. They are spending their days in the hospital. It’s about showing them that someone does care and we do know that they exist. And that we do everything that we can, despite that we aren’t working there. Even if we aren’t there in person, we do care. It’s not just so we can give stuff, it’s to show that they do want to help, and they do care for the people who aren’t as fortunate and can’t be in school. Or the people who can’t have their own,” Poore said

So far the club has have had a lot of donations. Trash bags are filled with stuffed animals and boxes are overflowing. Poore says that this show’s our school spirit and the support we have for our community. CFCA is also planning on not just donating the stuffed animals to the hospitals but first responders as well.

“Sometimes the kids that are being treated for cancer. Can’t have (unless it’s sterilized) always have things. My friend Jacob couldn’t have anything unless it was absolutely sterilized. When he was in the hospital. We are hoping to donate to the first responders. Because a lot times they would carry one in their cruisers. So they will give it to a child. Let’s say that someone’s mom has cancer and one day God forbid she has an episode. And the first responders would be their, to give the kid the stuff animal. And to support the child, and to help the family to get through it, “ Poore said

Poore was diagnosed with chronic migraines before he started this club. This illness has been difficult for him but doesn’t stop him from doing what he wants to the most. He says the most rewarding part about this club is the service for others. Which is helping others fight for this one day curable disease. His illness in some ways help movative him with the start of this club. But it is not everything. Regardless if he had the illness or not this club would still exist.

“Cancer doesn’t affect the life of just the patient, it affects the lives of everyone around them. And we want to show support and we want to show physical support and financially,” Poore said, “With whatever support we can give to the people who are fighting. In anyway, fighting directly or fighting indirectly.”