Stepping Up

We’ve been talking with our students about being built for others for several years at the middle level. Being built for others is having concern for the welfare of others, for caring about them, for trying to help them, and giving of yourself in an effort to make a situation or the lives of others better – whether you know them or not. Whatever it is you can do, it’s about giving your time, your effort, and your attention to something bigger than yourself that benefits others with no expectation of getting anything in return. It’s selflessness. It’s powerful. It’s energizing. It’s the greatest untapped renewable resource that we all have available to give.

This past Friday our entire school community came together as it has the four previous years to get involved in a transcendent cause. We hosted our 5^th consecutive St. Baldrick’s event at West Genesee Middle School. This is a special event for a few reasons. The first is that this was student-initiated in 2014 as a result of some students looking for a way to support and stand with fellow students and members of our community who have been impacted by childhood cancer. Whenever you have students step up in an effort to make the world a better place and to help others, we need to listen, support them as needed and step aside. The results are usually incredible. Secondly, this event involves our entire school community: staff, students, parents, alumni and community members all involved in some way, whether it be shaving their head, donating, spreading the word or showing up to support our efforts with great enthusiasm. This is a true example of “The Power of WE.” Finally, we have all lost dear friends and family to cancer, and there are many others we know that have survived or continue to battle the disease. Most of us are not scientists or researchers so we are not going to be directly involved in finding a cure for this horrific disease. But that doesn’t mean we are helpless. St. Baldrick’s has been an avenue for us to do something positive and try to be part of what will hopefully be a significant breakthrough in helping to fight not only childhood cancers, but all cancers. That need to do something and to be part of the solution is what drives us.

For our St. Baldrick’s event this year we had 28 individuals step up to ‘brave the shave’ as part of #TeamWildcat, raising over $15,000. Twelve of our shavees were students who collectively raised $7,000 as a group. Unbelievable! Other students and staff were involved in making shamrock key chains and door signs in Technology classes with all of the proceeds going directly to our St. Baldrick’s event. We had former West Genesee graduates from Saving Face Barber Shop volunteer their time to shave some heads and be a part of our event as well. All in all, a lot of people giving of themselves for a transcendent cause. All in all, a community stepping up and coming together.

When we talk to students about being ‘built for others’ this event is exactly the type of thing we are talking about; to take part in something bigger than yourself and to work for impacting others in a positive way. It is energizing, inspiring, moving and incredibly powerful. The entire West Genesee community has been a part of this whether you shaved your head, made a donation, promoted the event, forwarded our link or supported and cheered on colleagues, students and friends who braved the shave. I can’t thank everyone enough for their involvement, encouragement, generosity and support. We are making a difference.

The world needs more people stepping up for transcendent causes, thinking about others first and living their lives to be truly built for others. We all have it in us. We just need to continue stepping up.

Continued Success,

Steve Dunham

sdunham@westgenesee.org

Twitter: @Sdunhamwgms