A trio of Wilson High School students are aiming to make a difference in the lives of local cancer patients, one pink bag at a time.
On Monday, seniors Madelyn Krieger, Matthew White and Gavin Abbott visited Erie County Medical Center to deliver their “bundles of hope” to breast cancer patients. With the permission and help of hospital personnel, the students were able to deliver the bags to patients directly.
“That was a very humbling and very gratifying experience and I guess it just shows how little it takes to help somebody when they’re in need and when they’re suffering,” White said.
“It really touched our hearts,” Krieger added.
The pink bags, which contain toiletries, a blanket, socks and stickers bearing encouraging messages, were the culmination of a project that the trio started at Orleans-Niagara BOCES through the Skills USA program.
Krieger said she was first inspired to undertake the project after she made a similar basket for her mother, who was diagnosed with breast cancer last year.
“It was just a really hard thing to deal with,” Krieger said. “It was the first time that I’ve ever really been exposed to cancer and I just wanted to do something to make it a little bit better and lighten the mood a bit.”
White also has a personal connection that inspired him to join the project.
“My maternal grandmother passed away from cancer in 2015 and my other grandma has gone through two bouts of cancer,” he said.
In January, the group started soliciting monetary donations from the community as well as item donations from local businesses and from fellow BOCES classmates that went towards a basket auction they held in conjunction with one of Wilson Volunteer Fire Company’s fish fry dinners at the fire hall.
Through all of their fundraising efforts, they received $2,600 and have put together 50 bags so far.
The students will be presenting their project at the Skills USA New York State competition Thursday in Syracuse.
They hope to continue their efforts and make at least 50 more bags.
Krieger said she has been in contact with Wilson town Supervisor Tony Evans and personnel at the Wilson Historical Society to possibly extend the trio’s fundraising effort to the town’s Memorial Day Fair.