Square dancing:  A physical education. unit of great controversy and mixed feelings.  However, Shindig in the Barn, a school-hosted event featuring square dancing and a live caller, always seems to have a great turn out.

The Cancer Awareness Reaching Everyone club, also known as the C.A.R.E. club, has run Shindig in the Barn for over 30 years.  Each year they have raised about $1000 to donate to either a local family in need or a cancer hospital.  

The club members work to create a bigger impact for their actions because they work off of donations and give the proceeds to those in the community.  

“Something really important that we do that not a lot of cancer organizations do is donate directly to families. People don’t always realize how affected families are financially by cancer, not only emotionally or physically,” senior Tanner Knabe said.

This method of donation differs greatly from most organizations because “you don’t know how much these families are actually getting by the time it goes through all the [paid] workers,”  junior Lauren Mehr said.

Aside from Shindig in the Barn, the C.A.R.E. club also holds bake sales every month, sells pink hair extensions in October, runs “Make Cents of Cancer,” and hosted a 5k in November.  As with Shindig, all money raised by these events is donated directly to local families or to cancer centers.  

Members of the club enjoy being a part of such a great community with heart-warming goals.

“Being a part of this club just makes me feel like a better person,” senior Jackie Herer said.

The bake sales held each month take place in the gym lobby, yet the dates vary.  What makes the bake sales unique is that they correlate with the type of cancer assigned to the month.  Each month, the club aims to raise awareness of a different type of cancer, and baked goods sold will often be the colors of a certain cancer’s awareness colors.   The money raised is gathered and donated to a family within Massapequa dealing with cancer.

During the month of October, breast cancer awareness month, pink hair extensions are sold to students and teachers in order to raise both awareness and funds for cancer victims.  Money raised from this event goes to “Making Strides,” a walk for breast cancer.

“Make Cents of Cancer” is held in the fall and lasts for a week.  Homeroom teachers collect loose change from students in a bucket and submit it to the club at the end of the week to be donated.  Whichever class turns in the most change by the end of said week is rewarded with a bagel breakfast.

“Run because you C.A.R.E.” is a 5k walk/run held in November that welcomes the whole community.  The 2015-2016 school year’s event was the first, but due to its success, members plan on continuing it for many years to come.  Runners are provided with a t-shirt, free bagels and water for just $10.  Baked goods are also sold at the event to help increase the amount of funds raised.

Members were very proud of the outcome of the run and have high hopes for next year;

“I think it was really successful considering we just started planning for it in late September and held it in early November,” Lauren Mehr said.

Although the C.A.R.E. club does a great deal of service for both MHS and those in need, participation from the MHS community is crucial to its success.  One of their main concerns is attendance, as it is difficult to keep it high, especially towards the end of the year with the arrival of AP exams and prom season.

For anyone considering joining the club, “you may not know it but there are people in your community that are suffering from cancer, and by joining our club and helping with what we do, you are helping the people around [you],” Tanner Knabe said.

Members of the C.A.R.E. club are credited for community service hours and are eligible for the Hartzel scholarship.  Two seniors who actively participate in the club are selected every year to get the Hartzel scholarship, an award given in honor of Mrs. Hartzel, the P.E. teacher who faced, and defeated, cancer and started the club.

As member Jackie Herer said, “The C.A.R.E. club cares.”