By Leo Garkisch, copy editor
On Friday, Sept. 23, the annual U-Knight for a Cure football game will kick off at 7:30 p.m. at George Gattas Memorial Stadium when the Knights take on Buffalo Grove. The game is themed to promote breast cancer awareness and looks to raise money for Northwest Community Healthcare’s (NCH) Multi-Disciplinary Newly Diagnosed Breast Cancer Clinic program.
Rather than being a pink-out like last year’s game, Friday’s game will be a gray-out. T-shirts promoting the game are on sale for $10 in the commons before school and during all lunch periods, and raffle tickets for prizes ranging from a parking pass to Hamilton tickets are on sale outside room 103 and will be sold before and during the game. Proceeds from the all sales will go towards the NCH initiative.
Junior U leader Emily Lasky hopes that this year’s fundraiser can outraise the $9,000 made last year or even the $11,000 made in 2014.
“Any money that’s raised, obviously, we’re very proud of,” Lasky said. “We always surprise ourselves with how far we can go, so I have a good feeling about this year. I think everyone’s really into it, and hopefully we can beat our goal from two years ago or at least match it.”
And she and other U leaders have been working to do just that by publicizing the event as much as possible. Several spent hours sitting down with local businesses in Arlington Heights and Mt. Prospect, asking them to donate items to be sold in the raffle.
However, the U leaders aren’t the only ones who can take credit for the event’s popularity. The entire freshman class worked to create posters that have gone up on all the lockers in the school. The girls’ volleyball program requires each of its players to sell at least 10 shirts. Cheerleaders also made and put up posters promoting the event around the school.
With the immense preparation that has gone into the event, Lasky encourages every student to purchase a shirt because the money earned through those sales will have an immense impact on the community.
“Even if you don’t necessarily have a personal experience with [breast cancer], someone around you probably does,” Lasky said. “To do something so little, like [buy] a $10 T-shirt, can go so far helping find a cure for such a horrible disease. I feel like it’s just such a great way for Prospect students to give back and help out.”
While the fundraiser works to address off-field issues, the commitment of students looking to make a difference in the community doesn’t go unnoticed by the players, who are challenged with trying to win their first MSL matchup of the season.
“When the whole school gets behind something like that, it’s really nice to see,” senior linebacker Sam Lumia said. “Especially when it’s for such a good cause … it’s pretty incredible.”
While last year’s game featured balloons being released to honor those who have battled breast cancer, due to concerns over latex allergies, that isn’t going to happen on Friday. Nonetheless, Lumia and Lasky both agree that everybody should attend the game if they can.
“This isn’t just a football game,” Lasky said. “It’s so much more. It’s a way for Prospect students to come together and make something so big happen, and I feel like that’s so cool.  You just think, ‘We’re just a bunch of high school students.’ But look what we’re making happen. We’re changing lives, really.”