October is breast cancer awareness month, and for the Pink Ladies club on campus, this topic hits close to home.

With around 85 members, Pink Ladies raises awareness for breast cancer during their meetings, through events and volunteer opportunities in the community. The club was founded in 2020 by Maddi Kim, a sophomore at the time, who was surprised by the lack of clubs centered around breast cancer.

“I was curious, why not? I found out that it stopped in 2003, so I wanted to get it up and going again,” Kim said

After her mom was diagnosed with breast cancer 6 years ago, Kim, a senior now, wanted to raise awareness and bring support to patients and survivors. She wanted to create an inclusive and fun environment where people can share their stories and make a difference.

“We just have very open conversations … everyone’s very welcoming,” sophomore Megan Chin said.

Megan joined the club during her freshman year because she wanted to help spread awareness about breast cancer because it is so widespread in our community. She also wanted to be a part of the fun and welcoming environment that the club provided.

Mustapha Hadi, a senior at Granite Bay, joined the club after his friend, the vice president of the club, convinced him to come try it out.

“I joined in my sophomore year, and it turned out to be like a really good cause,” Hadi said.

People commonly get confused by the name “Pink Ladies,” but the club has members of all genders, and they encourage anyone who wants to join to come to their meetings. 

“There’s plenty of guys there that join us just as much as the girls do, and I think that’s super fun,” Chin said.

“It doesn’t matter who you are, where you’re from, we just want people there,” Hadi said.

The club participates in community events, as well as organizing some of their own to help spread awareness.

On October 16, 2022, the club attended the Making Strides walk in Sacramento with the American Cancer society. This 5k event helps raise donations and unite the community against breast cancer.

They also create boxes called “HOPE Kits,” an activity based off of the National Breast Cancer Foundation, which they give out to patients going through chemo at the Sutter Oncology Center. These kits contain items like fuzzy socks, lotions, tea, candles, and skin care items. They are meant to provide a tangible and metaphorical sense of comfort and support.

People can request a HOPE Kit for a friend or family member by using the link in their instagram bio @gbpinkladies, or by clicking here.

Granite Bay High School’s girl tennis team hosted a pink out match in partnership with the Pink Ladies club. Players from Granite Bay and Whitney wore \pink instead of their typical school colors. 

Each person has a sponsor who will pay a certain amount depending on the score of the match, and whether they win or lose. This will be a fundraiser for the club, and donations will be given to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

“We thought we might as well help out in our community, so that’s what one of our main initiatives includes,” Kim said.