Desert Wind celebrates Pink Friday with familiar cancer survivor

Diane Vigil is the secretary at Desert Wind Middle School, but, more importantly this month, she is a 14-year breast cancer survivor. On Friday her colleagues and Desert Wind students honored her and other survivors with a “Pink Friday” event.

“This is amazing,” said Vigil. “About 90 percent of the staff and the majority of our students are wearing pink today.” Pink leis and “Who do you pink for?” rubber bracelets were also distributed to commemorate the day and recognize October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

In addition to donning pink on Friday, students and staff participated in a poster contest to publicize not only the importance of awareness, but also the hope that research will find a cure for breast cancer.

The staff poster contest winner was Kelley Schneider, who is the art teacher at the school. Student winners, who will be honored this week and receive book fair items or discounts, are:

First place: Matthew Sipes
Second place: Shaun Skaff
Third place: Alexis Foy

Teachers from all three grade levels, sixth, seventh and eighth, gathered at lunch to share a potluck, with everyone providing a special dish.

Earlier in the week Vigil, who came to Maricopa from California a year and a half ago, was presented cancer awareness and survivor gifts from the staff. “I feel very honored and very grateful,” she said.

Click on the < and > under the picture to see more photos.

Photos by Joyce Hollis